Paradise Regained
by leeleepupu
Summary: Set post TO S02E01, TVD S06E01. After a visit from Klaus to Caroline in Whitmore, Caroline is asked by a witch to visit New Orleans on a personal errand in exchange of the witch's help to remove the spell from Mystic Falls. In this endeavor, Caroline finds herself becoming involved in the politics of New Orleans.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- Not entirely sure if I should keep it to a one-shot or do a multi-chapter thing?

**Paradise Regained**

_"It's so hard,"_ he imagined telling her.

_"What is?" _he imagined her eyebrows crinkling a little, a tiny frown working it's way onto her mouth. Her mouth.

_"Trusting. To give like you have nothing to lose. It's so exhausting. To allow yourself to feel the whole world isn't conspiring against you."_

He imagined she would scoff and make a scathing remark against his person. Something like _he had brought it upon himself_.

Or perhaps, her face would soften with sorrow as it did at times when he confided in her. Klaus wasn't sure. He hadn't been given nearly enough time to figure out the nuances of Caroline Forbes. He hoped he would. At some point in his life. Especially considering the recent pleasing developments. _It was a one-time thing_, he reminded himself sternly.

_I've caught myself wishing I could forget all the horrible things you've done. _

The scotch pleasantly burned down his throat, his thoughts however, refused to budge. They seemed to be quite insistent on clinging on comfortably to the memories of Caroline. It would not do to pay her a visit. It just would not do. Not after the war he had going on, with the possibility of Esther re-appearing, with the possibility of his father -step father turning up , with the forced exile of his daughter and Haley losing her sanity. It would not do to bring Caroline midst all of this and complicate things further.

_Bastard._

_Unwanted. _

_Alone._

_Alone._

_Alone._

But perhaps a visit wouldn't do much harm. He sensed Elijah's arrival. Perfect.

"Brother, what a delight to find you," the wariness on Elijah's face told him otherwise. Klaus only smirked menacingly, enjoying Elijah's evident discomfort.

"I've to pay a visit to someone." Klaus did not want his brother or anyone for that matter to know of his affections for Caroline.

"I might be gone for a week or so. I trust you would be able to handle the city in my absence? Do take care of Hayley. Wouldn't want her slaughtering a whole town this time, now do we?"

Elijah sighed audibly as he loosened his tie. "Very well, brother. I'll let Hayley know of your departure. Anywhere special you're headed to?" Elijah asked, stopping at the foot of the staircase, regarding his brother carefully.

"Nothing to worry your pretty little head about," Klaus said, not concealing the undercurrent of warning his words were laced with.

Catching up to his brother's paranoia and impulsiveness, Elijah only nodded and swiftly made his way towards Hayley's room. Klaus could hear sheets rustling and Haley's sleepy voice inquiring after Elijah's day and Klaus decided that was cue to leave.

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He found her in a cafe talking to the former vampire hunter, formerly _dead _Alaric Saltzman. Klaus wondered when the ex-Vampire Hunter sired by his mother had come back to life. Seemed like there was a bit of catching up to do. So Klaus seated himself at a comfortable but inconspicuous distance to listen in on their conversation and update himself on everything he had missed.

Caroline, he noticed, was looking extremely exuberant and so much like Spring in the dress she was wearing, that he couldn't regret his decision to make his journey to see her. It was cut across in variety of amusing ways, Klaus noted. He imagined running his palm across the smooth expanse of her back. He remembered skin, and the bark of a tree cutting into flesh, hot wet mouth and hands moving frenzily. He caught himself before he could allow his thoughts to wander dangerous terrains. He however did not miss the distressed expression she adorned as she spoke, with her hands scissoring through the air viciously.

Seemed like the Mystic Falls gang was falling apart. Stefan was out gallivanting on his own - Klaus wasn't surprised considering his anti-social _modus operandi_. The doppelganger was apparently behaving bizarrely calm despite the death of her boyfriend - that incessantly annoying Salvatore, for whose death, Klaus wasn't at all remorseful. He had seen it coming for that impulsive arrogant little vampire. The Bennett witch's death, however, surprised him. The death of a powerful witch, especially one who could be persuaded to aid him if required, did not please Klaus. But, the news of Mystic Falls being under a spell to disallow any magical activity within it had by far been the most surprising of all. He had wondered how Caroline was coping with all this grief. He wondered as to how Caroline's relationship with her mother was coming along after this new development.

But more importantly, what Klaus did gather from all the information was, that Caroline had her hands full. She was incredibly busy and stressed out and he wasn't entirely sure how she would take to his presence - especially after the explicitly ambiguous terms of their... _relationship_, if it can even be called that. And in that moment, Klaus Mikaelson experienced a torrent of the most terrifying of vulnerability and insecurity regarding the matters of the heart. _It was a bad idea_, he decided firmly as he prepared to leave.

"Klaus?" her voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned to find her face contorted in surprise and what seemed to be a bit of - suspicion. Her fingers were tightly wound across the book she held pressed against her chest.

"Caroline," he breathed, feeling his face stretch into a smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, the doubt and a slight tinge of fear, Klaus noted, frozen into her features. He wanted to close the distance and assure her he meant no harm but he knew he couldn't. Caroline wasn't the sort to be comforted with physical contact. It would only alarm her and push her away. So he held himself and knew he had to play his cards right if he didn't want to ruin the progress he had made with their relationship.

"Out on an errand, really. Didn't seem to think I would run into you of all people." He saw her relax as she rolled her eyes and let out a "yeah, right" with an audible scoff. Klaus smiled, indulgently. They were okay, he decided.

"Are you alleging that my visit has something to do with your presence in it?" he asked, taking a step towards her, enjoying the way her eyes widened a fraction at their increasing proximity before they usually covered up her surprise and what Klaus thought - no, _knew_, after all he _had _seen it in her eyes before in the woods - _lus_t.

It was Caroline's turn to indulge him with a smile and another eyeroll as she poked him in the chest, putting an end to their proximity.

"Guilty as charged," he conceded, backing away relishing in the way her face reddened at his candidness. Classic Caroline._ Somethings never change_, he thought to himself quite happily.

"But I see I've caught you at a bad time. Perhaps, another time, then," he offered her a small smile, breaking the awkward tension that had made its cumbersome presence known in the air between them.

"Now is a good time as any, I guess," he heard Caroline mutter so softly, he knew it was deliberate because she knew he would hear it, but he was also not entirely sure he hadn't misheard. The expectant look on Caroline's face told him otherwise.

"Stop grinning like that, you'll startle people into thinking the Big Bad Hybrid has 'lost his marbles'," Caroline teased in what seemed to be a terrible imitation of the British Accent of the last two words He hadn't realized he had been grinning.

"Well, what are you waiting for? If you're here, you might as well help me with some things."

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"I thought we were never going to see each other again - that _is _what we agreed upon," Caroline said, as they got into her car. Her eyes were keenly regarding the empty road.

"And I thought you were going to college," Klaus countered. Caroline shot him a glare."Decisions change, I guess," he said looking her in the eye.

"Things happened. Not that I need to offer _you _an explanation," Caroline bit back, angrily, her hands clenching the steering wheel.

"Well, what happened?" Klaus asked again, but gently this time, trying his best to not make it sound like an accusation. Though he _was _accusing her. Kind of. For not choosing him. For not following through with what she gave as excuses to not choose him. That was unfair. She had to accept it.

She sensed the accusation and retorted appropriately, "_again_, I don't see why it should concern you," Klaus gave her a pointed look at that, which she pointedly ignored, "_but_,"she said forcefully, "Damon and Bonnie have ...," she took a deep breath, "are on the other side. Like, the,Other, other side and Mystic Falls has been spelled to keep any magical creature from entering so I'm trying to look for something to reverse that, oh, and - and I just found out Stefan, who's been AWOL for quite sometime now, has apparently gone AWOL only on _me_. He's been in touch with Alaric -" Caroline stopped at Klaus' confused expression.

"What does AWOL stand for, love?" he asked and it took all of Caroline's will power to not burst into laughter and mock him for his boorish ways. She only willed him an eye roll but Klaus could see the amusement in her eyes and he thrived on it.

"It means Absence Without Official Leave. God, I forget you're like a bazillion years old. _Anyway_," she added quickly before Klaus could get all particular about how he's not a bazillion years old but only a few centuries, "So, Stefan's been in touch with Alaric and has been consistently ignoring only me, and Elena's being all weird after Bonnie and Damon's death and Tyl-" she caught herself before she could say more. She cursed herself for even uttering Tyler's name in Klaus' presence.

"And what has my former-minion, the despicable Lockwood boy, been up to?" Klaus asked, noticing the way Caroline had cut her speech short. Not that he wanted to hear about the damned Lockwood boy.

"Nothing important," Caroline muttered hastily. Klaus decided to humor her by not pursuing the topic. Rest assured he knew Caroline and Tyler weren't involved. He hummed contentedly, waiting for Caroline to begin speaking again. She wasn't the type to stay quiet.

"So back to the problem in mystic falls...," Caroline began making Klaus smirk. She was never for long silences. Klaus gestured her to continue.

"Well, I've run into a lot of dead ends...but I refuse to give up... There _has _to be some way...especially now" her hands clenched the steering wheel tightly, "it's more important to go on now than ever."

"And why is that?" Klaus asked noting the curious firm way her mouth was set in.

"Because it seems like everyone else has."

_So this is what a determined hopeful Caroline looks like_, he thought. He liked it a lot, he realized.

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"Now, I've already read through most of the books on boundary spells but I couldn't - _what do you think you're_ _doing_?" Caroline asked Klaus who had laid himself against the grass quite comfortably.

"What does it _look _like I'm doing, love?" he asked, voice disturbingly pleasant and teasing and way too comfortable for Caroline's liking. She groaned, frustrated.

"We are _not _having a picnic here, Klaus. Can you please sit up and pay attention and not act like such a creep!" She poked him when he refused to respond. "Hello! You're being rude!"

He laughed. This strange joyful thing, which Caroline wasn't sure he could even produce, which _Klaus _wasn't sure he could produce after all that had happened, ripped its way out of his body, and made it's presence known in the air that held them.

"I know it's not that important to you, but it is important to me."

Klaus leaned on his side, his head supported by his palm, watching her make her case and deriving the silliest and yet the most satisfying of pleasures from it. The way her eyes sparkled furiously, her hair cascading her face and her mouth turned down into a frown.

"Nobody except me seems to care and it is so annoying and infuriating. How can everybody act so -so indifferent! I am going to track down every coven possible, ever spell possible but I - I'm _not_ going to lose hope."

Klaus looked at her, with her clenched fists and defiance etched into her posture. He sat up. "Yes. Hope is something that must never be lost," he smiled and Caroline felt there was a strange sorrow to his voice, but she did not probe.

"I could send you contact information of some of my most trusted witches," he offered. Caroline released a heavy sigh. "That would be great. Thank you."

Klaus smiled at her and lay down on his back again.

_"So_," Caroline began again, making Klaus chuckle at her obstinacy to maintain a conversation and her apparent irritation with his lazy participation.

"How's everything in New Orleans?" her felt her scoot closer to him. He opened his eyes to find her face darkened by the Sun encircling her head. She was dark and light, everything together, he felt. He lifted his hand to pinch a lock of her hair between his fingers and decided that sometimes what glitters is in fact gold. He felt her breath hitch and quickly let go, afraid he might have made her feel uncomfortable.

"It's...chaotic." His eyes fluttered shut.

He wanted to tell her about Hope. How lovely and tiny she was. How beautiful and precious and how he knew what unconditional love meant, in that moment of holding her in his arms. He wanted to share his happiness with her. He knew it would be reciprocated ten fold. But it was not the right time yet. Hope would be in danger if he let anyone know of her existence. As much as Caroline meant to him, his daughter's life could not be put at risk.

"Not all that you'd hope it would be?" He could sense the wariness in her voice. Wondered what was the real purpose of her question. He opened his eyes to find her gazing across the landscape, this strange shadow of sorrow hovering on her face.

"Is everything okay, darling?" he asked, sitting up. She gave him a sad smile.

"Of course, why wouldn't it be?" she refused to look at him, obstinately staring at the grass. Klaus took one of her hands lying limp in her lap and pressed a kiss against her fingertips only to have her snatch it back as if burnt. She stood up quickly, surprising Klaus. He followed suit.

"I'm sorry if I crossed a line," Klaus said alarmed, noticing how Caroline's face twisted into agony.

"You crossed a line when you _showed up_ . When you started doing all of _this_," She threw her hands up in frustration. "Seeing you here only reminds me of everything I had planned for and of everything that has gone wrong. Everything is falling apart. I don't know what to do. I can't be so strong all the time. I need a break too and then, then _you_ show up and I have to be strong again and I just need _five_ minutes to be - to be _weak_," tears streamed down her face and breath came in puffs. She was hyperventilating.

"Caroline," Klaus urged, boring his eyes into hers, his hands clamped onto her biceps. "_Breathe." _

She felt the compulsion work on her and her breath came easier and she felt the tension release her body. She pressed her forehead against Klaus' shoulder. Her hands slid around his waist in a way that confused him. Her body pressed against his flush, hands wound tightly around his torso - she was _hugging _him. He had witnessed Hayley and Elijah hugging several times, the way they would seek comfort in each other's arms and Klaus often wondered how that felt like - pathetically weak and yet reassuring with all the tenderness that an embrace allows one to feel, Klaus was sure. He breathed in Caroline's hair as his arms slowly moved to imitate her actions and hold her tighter against himself. It felt divine, he decided. To be held and to hold with so much love.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know my presence would prove to be so...problematic," he spoke against her hair. She pulled away from him and shook her head, "It's ..." Klaus could see it was difficult for her to entirely dispute it. But the fact that she wanted to do so, to safeguard his feelings was a sweet respite. He smiled at her charmingly.

"It's quite alright, love. We can always meet some other time."

She nodded, wiping her face with the back of her palm. "I'll call you," Caroline promised him. "Do you...do you want me to drive you somewhere?"

He smiled. "No, I'll be fine. Survived quite a few centuries without the existence of automobiles love. I'm sure I'll survive a few minutes."

His smile only grew wider when Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yeah, old man. Now get going. Unlike _you_, I have stuff to do."

Klaus turned to leave, but not before pressing a firm reassuring kiss against Caroline's temple. "Take care, Caroline."

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**A/N- One shot or MC?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**- Thank you so much for the wonderful response. I wasn't really sure to whether extend it to a MC or let it be a One-shot because I'm not sure of the storyline yet. It's blurry but I promise I WILL come up with something decent.

Also, Enzo will not be featuring in this fic. At least for now. I loathe his character, really. And writing him would be a pain I wish to avoid. I also hate Camille. She annoys me so much.

**Do follow my tumblr if you want - leeleepupu for sneak peeks and more information regarding upcoming chapters and plans for this fic.**

Also I love this strange comradeship between Klaus and Hayley. It's so good. I am not at all Anti-Hayley. I am anti-Klayley, though. But I love Hayley as a character and do not feel Hope is stupid or Hayley is stupid. I think both immense potential as characters independently and in relation to Klaus and I intend to explore that.

I love Klaus as a father, it tells us so much about him! Honestly, you guys! It's just so exciting. Please don't get used to fast updates! This is just a trick by me to make you fall in love with me! I'm a super lazy writer. Hope you like what I write, though. I've worked really hard. I want the characters to stay true to themselves. Do tell me what you think!

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><p><strong>CHAPTER 2<strong>

"Stefan?" Caroline called out as she knocked at the door, wondering if she was even at the right place. She had confirmed the address with Alaric but it's not like there can't be scope for mistake. The door creaked as it opened, a girl stood poised behind the door waiting for Caroline to explain her intrusion. Perhaps Caroline _was_ at the wrong place.

"Um..yes?"

"Hey, I'm ...sorry, I thought this is where my friend Stefan lived...perhaps I was mista-"

"Oh no, no, you're at the right place," the girl said and Caroline felt her eyes widen and a frown begin to form on her face. She felt a deep burn sear through her heart and belly. The pain was unbearable. Caroline took control of her facial expressions immediately and suppressed them to form an easygoing fresh 'Miss Mystic Falls' smile.

"He's not in at the moment though…" Caroline felt the girl didn't really want to let her in. Perhaps she thought her a 'rival'. Ugh. How silly. What was a girl - a _human_ girl doing at Stefan's place in his absence anyway?

"Oh, I'm a friend of Stefan's from school. Would you mind if I came in and waited for him?" Caroline offered her best 'you-can-trust-me' smile and she could see the girl relax as she opened the door further to let her in.

"No, not at all. Please do. He's just out to get some groceries. He'll be back in a while," the girl said as she led Caroline in.

"I'm Ivy," the girl said, giving an awkward smile to Caroline as she took her place on the sofa.

"Everything...okay?" Caroline heard the girl ask. Caroline realized she was staring around at the place with much disdain. "Yes, of course," Caroline smiled as she took a seat across from the girl not entirely sure of what she had said her name was.

"Well, this is the first time I'm meeting any friend of Stefan," the girl said, wringing her hands together in what seemed to Caroline an act of nervousness. "What school did you guys go to?"

"Oh, the only public school in our town. The one everyone went to," Caroline shrugged, looking at the decor of the house. It was so..._domestic_. It was so _Stefan_. The house told Caroline his departure wasn't a temporary one and not a passing whim. He really meant to escape everyone. She felt extremely nervous at the prospect of facing him. Perhaps she shouldn't have come. But this was Stefan. Her Stefan. She knew him. He was just dealing with grief in his own way. There was no need to not be understanding about this. It was all going to be okay once she spoke to him. Yes, it was going to be fine.

"Well, it must've been fun. How long have you known him?"

"Oh, a few years. How long have you guys been dating?" Caroline asked curiously, as she got up to poke around the house.

"Um, we're not really, _dating_ - dating. We're just...kind of seeing each other for the past two months. Not entirely sure where it's leading to," the girl gave Caroline an uneasy smile. _Just a fling, then. _Caroline wasn't not entirely sure of what to make of the slight tinge of pleasure that ran through her at the girl's confession.

"What is Stefan up to nowadays? I haven't seen him in forever," Caroline ventured forth in the tiny quaint kitchen. There were so many utensils there. She opened the fridge to see if there's a blood bag or two she can drain but couldn't find any. Stefan must've kept a stash in another freezer, she thought idly as she returned to her seat from across the girl.

"He's a mechanic. He works at this garage near - _oh_, you're here!" the girl got up smiling warmly and embraced Stefan lightly. Caroline stood up too, crossing her arms across her chest, holding herself together as she took in Stefan's incredulity and defensive posture. "Your friend's here...Caroline... from school?" Stefan glanced at her warily.

"Caroline," Stefan murmured.

She stared at him, allowing him to take charge of the situation, of the conversation. But he didn't. He just stared at her as if she was some vile uninvited _thing_ that he had to deal with. Caroline stared back, shocked at the open displeasure of her presence.

"Well, let's sit down," Ivy said, clapping her hands in an awkward fashion, no wonder sensing the palpable tension between them. The three of them sat in the living room with Ivy trying to make conversation for the three of them. After several painful moments Stefan stood up and asked Caroline to join him outside for a while.

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked softly. In that moment, all of Caroline's incredulity faded away, taking in Stefan's apparent dislike over her presence she understood he wasn't the Stefan she knew. He had changed. He seemed so much better off without all of them. Without her. He was this Stefan with a house and a job. And flings. And a life.

"I have no idea," Caroline said, her insides being consumed by this awful, awful feeling of dejection, rejection and so much pain. She bit her lip angrily refusing to let her sorrow show.

"I think I should go," Caroline whispered as she started walking away.

Stefan didn't stop her.

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><p>"Hayley, how are you feeling?" Elijah asked, stress lines forming all over his face. Hayley groaned annoyed. She was fine. She needed him to stop asking that, to stop constantly stressing over her. She wasn't broken.<p>

"I'm good," she said as she got out of bed and went into the bathroom slamming the door behind her. She pressed a palm against her stomach, like she did each morning, touching it where it was swollen six months ago.

After moving around in foster homes and circulating among cities, families, groups and packs, Hayley was sure she knew all of what the world had to offer. This gut wrenching need to belong, to love had consumed her being and drove her to do things she wasn't proud of. All of that pain was living under Hayley's skin, reminding her of all she's done, of the monster she is, and of how nobody anywhere in the world loved her or wanted her.

And then Klaus happened. It was so strange to think - and Hayley knew that half a year ago she would have never conceded to this thought - that Klaus was the one to help her make sense of her life. When she was at an impasse, he had brought action. That filthy monstrous selfish pig who knew nothing of affection or humanity triggered events which allowed her to meet Elijah, who looked at her like she was the moon, the irony made her chuckle, she found a comrade in Rebekah and most importantly, gave her Hope.

This beautiful human being Hayley was so sure she didn't want. This _thing_ she had considered it. This _thing_ which made her puke, her body hurt and emotions spiral, made her victim to the witch's plot and the vampires' plot and too many plots to actually count. She never really noticed when she switched from this _thing_ to _my baby_.

Perhaps it had started the day she felt a weird harmonious soul warming connection forming between her and her baby. This small warm tingly thing making her soul happy - this feeling of not being alone. This feeling of fullness. Of wholeness. Completeness. She remembered pressing her hand to her belly and crying because she wasn't sure if she would feel this happy and this loved ever again. This ferocious need to love, to protect had overwhelmed her being.

She knew she had never loved so intensely and so selflessly in her entire life. All her life she had wondered what family really was and what family felt like and she realized it was this feeling bubbling inside of her. Klaus had given her a family.

Her cellphone rang. It was Klaus. "What is it?" she asked curtly, wondering if Hope was okay. If Klaus was calling her to inform her of something bad that had happened to Hope? Had Rebekah been discovered?

"Not a little ray of sunshine are we, today?" She heard Klaus's teasing voice on the other side. She rolled her eyes.

"No. We most definitely are not," she leaned against the sink. "Why did you call?"

"Just calling in to check if everything is going okay," Hayley could hear the honking of cars on the other end of the phone. He seemed to be out on the road.

"Worried I might slaughter a potential ally in my raging grievous hormonal rampage?" Hayley bit back, angrily. She really needed people to stop annoying her with their 'concerns.' She pulled away from the sink and picked out her brush from the holder.

"Your words not mine," she could hear the smile in Klaus's voice.

"Well, lucky for you. I've...realigned my energies," she tapped her fingers against the sink, watching her tired face in the mirror move even more tiredly and...defeatedly as her mouth moved to form words, "into more recreational activities," she added with an evident smugness. Klaus only scoffed on the other side.

"Well, I see you're doing more than alright. I'll be on my way home soon."

"I'm surprised you manage to pull away from your recreational activities," Hayley said quickly before Klaus could end the conversation. She needed to know if she was right in her assumptions. There was silence on the other end. Hayley smirked. "I guess it didn't work?" she ventured.

"I don't know you mean, sweetheart," she heard Klaus's voice waver a little but the facade of confidence was kept up. It was Hayley's time to scoff.

"Yeah, right. I think we both know what I'm referring to Klaus. If you remember I was there at the pageant when you -"

"Enough," Klaus's voice on the other end was snippy and moody. Hayley rolled her eyes, If it was six months ago, she would've taken his anger seriously, but things were different now. Klaus and her were different.

There was this strange kinship she shared with Klaus. She couldn't explain it. They had a connection...that was almost...platonic, ironically. She knew Klaus felt it too. In the way he depended on her in those rare moments, trusted her to be able to hold her down her fort even when Elijah didn't think her capable. And Klaus was the only one who could make Hayley believe things could be okay. Elijah was a ray of calm. Klaus was chaos. Of ferocity. Of ruthlessness.

His ruthlessness and violence helped Hayley when she was in a place where she couldn't focus on anything except for the grief she felt for the loss of her child. Klaus was the only one who truly understood. He understood she wanted blood for what was inflicted upon them.

They both trusted each other in this implicit skeptical strange kind of way which worked out for them. The terrible need for love and belonging was as much present in Klaus as it was in Hayley. They were just so similar at times and so in-sync. It was like...friendship. This undeniable kinship.

Before they could both realize, they had started considering each other family. And Hayley didn't even know what exactly family was. Or caring about someone in such a deep weird loony platonic way. She'd never had many friends or lovers. She'd always been on the run. It was so severely altering. To have someone to depend on. And to have someone depend on you without it feeling like a burden. It was such a wonderful complex thing. Hayley was initially worried about Hope having a father like Klaus. But she had witnessed this certain softness and tenderness Klaus had when he held Hope. In that moment, Hayley knew Hope was going to be safe. Family was so..so good, Hayley realized.

"Okay, drama-queen, I guess I'll talk to you when you return," Hayley said applying paste on her toothbrush. It was quite a task to do it with one hand, she realized. She heard Klaus sigh on the other end.

"Yes, you will," he promised as he hung up.

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><p>Caroline Forbes decided she needed a break. A small one. Precisely one hour. Actually, one hour and ten seconds, including the walk back and forth the car. She parked along the road and decided she needed to lie down in the grass and breathe for a second. Today had been a terrible day and she needed to breathe. The warm sunlight touched her face in broken shimmering pieces, calming her as she pressed her cheek against the grass. She closed her eyes and decided not to think of things for entirely two minutes. She deserved this.<p>

_Bonnie and Damon are on the Other side; Elena is going crazy; Stefan is an asshole and I won't be able to see my mother for God knows how long because she thinks her daughter needs to get a life; I wouldn't be able to sleep in my pillow for God knows how long - can't believe I'm worrying about my pillow - but it is so soft and warm and homely - and i'm here trying to do yoga here, ugh_ -NO. She took a deep breath and let all of her thoughts out as she let the forest fill her in. She let her instincts dull and felt herself recede into a sleepy warm comfortable state. She slowly opened her eyes to find the grass hairs illuminated on the tips with sunlight. The grass reminded Caroline of Klaus and for once, instead of panic and shame, she felt a calm wash over her.

The sight of him lain against the grass had been so...so natural, normal and - calming. As if the whole world could be consumed in Chaos but head on the grass against a tender Sun was enough to calm one's nerves - like her mother's hugs. Caroline had seen Klaus lying there on the grass, his beard translucent against the touch of the Sun and she had recalled his cheek pressed against hers that day in the woods after they'd done it. She never really knew what to refer to it as. She couldn't really call it sex, it seemed too simple a word for what they had. And 'made love' sounded creepy and way, way too strong. Not to mention creepy. Really, really creepy.

Her fingertips had ached to touch his brow and press her palm against his forehead. He had looked so terribly tired. She had wanted to lay next to him and sleep. It seemed like they both needed it. These thoughts and feelings had freaked Caroline out. Lust she could handle. But this terribly overwhelming need to be tender had almost broke her. And slowly, she recalled how she had found herself becoming really angry. Klaus had no right to break their agreement and come back to meet her like and make her feel all of these things right when there was so much going. It was not fair. It was not fair at all. He reminded her of this optimism she had possessed regarding her college, the adventures she was going to have. She had so many plans. So much to do. But she found herself caught up in another torrent of problems. She grimaced at the idea of calling Bonnie and Damon's death and Elena's grief and Mystic Falls' annexation as 'problems.' Which made her even angrier . At herself. At Klaus for making her think this way.

She wanted to lay beside him and forget everything and that had infuriated her further. She would not - could not seek comfort in Klaus' or any boy's arms. She was not _that girl_. That stupid insecure insipid girl who looked for approval and comfort from people who were great at pretending to give it. Her mind had caught fire with her thoughts and soon she found herself being consumed in anger, guilt and paranoia and it was only when Klaus compelled her did she calm down.

She hated that he compelled her. Even if it was only to breathe. It felt like a violation of her rights - like Damon had done a few years ago. She shivered at the thought of her abusive relationship with Damon. She had been too relieved and overwhelmed after calming down to get angry at Klaus for resorting to compulsion. She needed to tell him it was not okay. Unless she was out on a killing rampage some day. The next time she'd meet him, she'd remember to tell him of this. There will be no next time, she told herself firmly. There were more important matters to tend to at the moment and the matters of the heart could wait. Indefinitely.

Caroline took out her day planner and made a list of the witches Klaus' had sent the addresses of in one column, and of a few people Alaric had said he'd heard of during his time on the Other Side in the other column. Caroline briefly wondered as to how Alaric was doing. Being a vampire was terribly new for him, but he was doing incredibly well. But she wondered if that had been just a facade. She could never really tell with Ric. He had always been such a closed off person. She made a note in her day planner to call him.

The witch most near to Caroline's location was one suggested by Alaric. "Portland it is," Caroline murmured as she got into the car and took out her phone for GPS.

* * *

><p>Klaus sat cradling the cup of tea handed to him by Agnes a half hour ago. It had gone stark cold but he hadn't allowed himself to drink any of it. He was too busy thinking. Or not thinking. Feeling. Or unfeeling. He wasn't sure.<p>

He could hear Agnes in the backyard, putting out the linen to dry. "I thought you said you were going to help me," Agnes said, putting a hand on her hip. "Now, when you tell me you're going to do something Niklaus Mikaelson, you better get down to it. You know how much I dislike people who just run their mouths off without any intention of following it up with action."

Klaus rolled his eyes as he got up. Agnes could be so dramatic. She did always have the love and flair for drama. He remembered the late 1600s when she'd helped Aphra Behn out with the production of her plays. She had been especially keen on 'The Rover' by Ms. Behn, if Klaus remembered quite correctly. That was Agnes' favourite play. He recalled how after Ms. Behn's death Agnes had insisted on leaving the country and coming to live in the Americas, which was still a colony back then. As a Black woman, she had had to suffer the torments laid out against her race. Soon she moved under the protection of Klaus, though, and that's how he had acquired her. She had requested an audience with him and in return for a few favours, she had plead allegiance to him. Now, more than four hundred years later, she was still loyal to him.

"I don't know why you don't just use those damn machines," Klaus muttered annoyed, as he followed her into the backyard.

"I'm old fashioned. Quite certainly, you'd understand," Agnes said as she sat down on one of the chairs placed in the backyard and watched Klaus do his chores. Klaus was very methodical and it was calming to watch him perform tasks. He took out each piece of linen and cloth from the hamper and first beat it against the air, straightening it of wrinkles. He then hung the linen on the clothesline and clipped them.

Agnes saw how the tight set to his jaw, the deep set frown on his face slowly disappeared and a calm concentrated look had overcome him, exactly like she knew it would. Klaus was like a little boy who needed to be given simple chores to take his mind off of the 'complex' things that clouded his mind.

Agnes knew Klaus wanted to know of his daughter despite the fact that he shouldn't be prying, and shouldn't be asking her to pry. It could prove dangerous if someone discovered them. This was the best way to keep him distracted and his daughter concealed and safe. This was for his own good, Agnes decided. Klaus's visits to Agnes were becoming more frequent since Hope's departure, and that too wasn't a very smart move.

Over the centuries, there had been times when Klaus had come over to visit Agnes, for favours but mostly just to not think. She had never questioned him or his presence when he'd stay for weeks and months and never minded it when she'd find him absent the next morning, not to return for another century. Agnes was always just slightly surprised when he did show up. He would just sit and think. Or he'd go on a bloody rampage. To tackle the latter, Agnes had come up with systems to distract him and put his energy into better use. She'd force him to help around the house. Cut wood, do the grocery shopping, cook, sweep the floors, dust the house, hang out the linen - and most surprisingly, Klaus did it. For all of his whining and threats, Agnes was sure he even welcomed it.

Lately, his visits had become more and more frequent, after the Hope incident . He started visiting once in two months. He'd sit out on the front porch early mornings just staring at the rising Sun, or he'd be sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in his hand - always staring off into the distance, though. This was his third visit in the same year and Agnes was worried and to some extent, quite sick of him. She'd preferred it much better when she saw him once in a decade or two.

The bell rang and Agnes went to answer it, seeing as Klaus was still busily working. She couldn't help but smile to herself softly. When she answered the door, she was greeted by a vampire, who looked much too cheerful for her own good.

"Who are you?" Agnes hissed, showing the vampire she was not welcome.

"I -," the vampire faltered. The vampire didn't seem to be much older...in fact she looked much like a kid. "I - I came to see you. Actually, my friend Alaric - Alaric Saltzman said you could help me with a couple of things." Agnes' eyebrows rose at the girl's pronouncement. She had heard of Alaric Saltzman not only from her ancestors but also from other witches.

" I - I'm Caroline Forbes," the girl explained, her face lost all of it's cheeriness and there was this pathetic defeated sorrow to it. She seemed to have sensed an impending rejection on Agnes's part if the girl didn't plead her case quickly and convincingly. "I need your help with something. Please help me."

Agnes peered at the girl wondering if this was a facade. If it was, then the girl was a better actress than any Agnes had encountered. But she was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. It's not like this silly baby vampire could do her any harm. Especially in her own home.

"Come in," Agnes opened the door further.

As Agnes led Caroline into the living room, Caroline looked around the house, surveying all exit routes just in case things didn't work out.

"Tea?" the woman asked. Caroline nodded slowly, wondering if she should accept it or not. What if it was laced with vervain or some other potent poison. But now it was too late to think of such things. She should've thought of it before she acquiesced. She didn't like tea. Ugh. The woman, Agnes, poured the tea into two dainty cups before she sat down, handing Caroline her cup of tea.

"So what is it that you think I can help you with?"

"Well," Caroline chewed on her lip wondering where to start. "My town, Mystic Falls is spelled to keep any supernatural being a way..I kinda want your help to reverse it."

"An entire town?" Agnes raised an eyebrow. That required a considerable amount of magic. "Who did this?"

"Um...it was the Travelers."

Agnes put her cup down. "_The Travellers_?"

Caroline nodded and proceeded to tell her of the entire thing. "So, do you think you can help?"

"I'll have to look into it. I'm not sure _why_ I should do it, though. What's in it for me?"

"A long list of good deeds and unwavering gratitude from me?" Caroline smiled. The witch's face remained expressionless making Caroline nervous. She looked outside the window. A man was hanging clothes to dry. He seemed a little familiar.

"What do you want?" Caroline asked, turning back to Agnes. He looked like KLAUS! Caroline realized and turned to see outside . She found no one. Maybe she was mistaken. The witch in front of her seemed to be contemplating.

"I'm sure I could think of something," Agnes said. Before Caroline could respond they were interrupted by someone's voice. This voice made Caroline blood run cold and her eyes widen.

"Agnes, it was quite rude of you to leave me all alone but I'm willing to overlook it because of the kindness of my heart. Is there anything else tha-" the man, stopped as he entered the room and saw Caroline.

They both stared at each other. "Caroline? What are you doing here?" Klaus asked, moving towards her. Caroline stood up abruptly. Her body was switching between hot and cold, and her brain had stopped functioning.

"I'm -" Caroline began, but shut up. "What are _you_ doing here? Are you following me?" She asked, eyes sparkling with anger, mouth ready to plunge into a series of select words. Klaus raised an eyebrow before chuckling.

"I'm afraid, as tempting as that sounds, love, I am here to visit a friend," Klaus said glancing at Agnes, who was watching their exchange quite curiously.

"Oh," Caroline said taken aback by the fact that a) _Klaus_ had _friends?_ b) _Klaus_ had a friend who was a _witch?_ c) Klaus _visited_ his 'friends' like _normal_ people?

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed her help to take down the barrier on Mystic Falls...and to see whether she could help with Damon and Bonnie...too," Caroline said shrugging. She looked immensely unhappy, Klaus observed. More upset and stressed out than the last time he'd seen her.

"Well, we'll come up with something," Klaus said, offering her a reassuring smile. "Won't we, Agnes?"

Agnes didn't reply for the longest time, only peered at him, at _them_ curiously.

She smirked. "I believe we will."

* * *

><p>AN - Read and review :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note –** I want to build Hayley's character to be more than what the writers on TO have done. I feel like they have created a pseudo-strong character. Hayley doesn't receive nearly enough credit for being herself. I want to explore her character. I also want to explore Steroline as a possibility, or rather, an impossibility.

Also, I hate the idea of reducing my characters or defining them according to the male attention they receive (I have unconsciously done that before). So there will Klaus-less chapters, or actually, more important, **Klaus-less Caroline.**

You know that rule find a movie where two females with names are talking about something other than a boy. I want to apply that to everything I write. Because, come on, guys. Caroline is amazing. And Klaroline is brilliant. But I don't want to reduce them to some cheesy couple leeching off of each other. Or have Caroline compromise her morals or ideals because of Klaus. I want to make her more. I know she is more.

Also, I wanted to bring BAMON in. But GODDAMIT, TVD writers have made that angle SO LAME and confusing. Like, am I the _ONLY _person who thinks TVD SEASON 5 and now SEASON 6 is kinda shitty? Like, omg, ELENA IS SO LAME, I can't deal with her? Caroline is fab as usual but exceedingly ABSENT too? Stefan is being lame and emo as usual. BAMON is amazing but WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH WITCH-LEECH ANGLE? LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Also, the updates will be slow, I'm afraid because I want to make sure the chapters are super-long and filled with content.

* * *

><p>Chapter 3<p>

"I'd be willing to do it, but at a price," Agnes said. They were sitting in her kitchen and as domestic as the scene might look to an outsider, the air was crackling with tension and Klaus's irritation wasn't helping Caroline in anyway.

"Which is what?" Caroline asked, at the same time Klaus said, "Agnes," warning.

"No," Caroline intervened. "This is _our_ deal. You don't need to intervene. I can handle this. I came this far on my own, didn't I?"

Agnes smirked while Klaus openly scowled. He wanted to make a brash comment about how her independence was going to get her killed but he kept quiet.

"Well, what is it?" Caroline asked, crossing her arms across her chest. Agnes gave a pointed look to Klaus. He raised his eyebrow at Agnes.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me, love. You don't expect me to actually leave her alone with yo-"

"_Klaus_," Caroline warned. He ignored her which made Caroline even more annoyed. He directed a dirty look at Agnes. "Do _not_ play any games with me. Or her," he hissed.

Agnes raised her arms as if to show she had nothing up her sleeves, literally and metaphorically. "I won't," she placed an arm on Klaus's shoulder as she nudged him towards the door.

"Now, come on, leave. We don't have all day," Agnes said, surprising Caroline with her brazenness. Once Klaus was out the door, Agnes performed what Caroline assumed to be a silencing spell of sorts.

"Klaus can't hear us?" she asked. Agnes nodded, gesturing her to take her seat opposite her.

"So...what is it?" Caroline asked. "What is it that you want?"

Agnes smiled. "It's harmless, really. I just need to deliver a letter to someone with your assistance," Agnes held out an envelope in front of her. Caroline eyed it warily, refusing to touch it. Agnes chuckled.

"Go ahead, it won't bite."

Caroline gave her a stony look. She _wasn't_ afraid. "Just a letter, huh? What's up with all the secrecy then? What does it contain?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary, no hexes," Agnes gave Caroline a menacing smile. "Well, not one that would activate before a week – which is the amount of time you have to deliver this letter to the person _without_ disclosing its contents to anybody."

"Does that mean _I _have access to the contents? Why?"

Agnes smiled. "To test you, of course."

Caroline nodded slowly. "O-kay." She took the letter from Agnes and pulled out the letter to read it.

"Who's Marcellus?"

* * *

><p>There was a knock at the door.<p>

"Come in," Caroline called out. She sat crossed legged on her bed with her day planner, a map, and books spread in front of her. It was Klaus. He had some blankets and sheets with him. Caroline didn't _really_ need them by virtue of being a vampire but she appreciated the gesture. It was...sweet. Or _planned_, considering, even _he_ knew she didn't need them.

"I brought sheets," he said, placing them at the foot of the bed.

"Thank you," she nodded, tucking stray strands of her hair behind her ear awkwardly. She didn't know what to do or say. Luckily, Klaus managed to think of something – and the topic of his conversation revealed his motive to be here. It was – surprise, surprise:

"What did Agnes say? What is she making you do?" He asked. Caroline noticed how he didn't sit. He chose to remain standing at a...'_respectable'_ distance. She only just managed to hide her smile at her choice of word. It seemed to fit in with him and his vocabulary. God. Now she knew Klaus's vocabulary? Wait, how did he know Agnes had given her something to do?

Caroline's eyes snapped to his'. "Why do you think she's making me do something?"Caroline countered, curiously.

"Because she always makes people run errands for her as a form of test."

"Well, then you'd know better than to ask me what the errand I have to run for her is, considering I need her help and cannot afford to not gain her trust," Caroline said shook her head at any counter-argument he was waiting to provide. "Also, a hex will be activated if I don't perform it before the weekend."

Klaus's face hardened. "You can_not_ seriously be considering this."

"But, I am," Caroline's voice held a tone of finality to it leaving no room for argument. Klaus glared at her.

"Were you - were you hanging out clothes to dry outside earlier?" He could see Caroline's face had lit up. He shrugged but couldn't help feel amazed at the way she laughed at his response. It was such an open friendly Caroline laugh.

"I could never imagine you to be so..._domestic,"_ Caroline said, smiling at him. "It's so..." _cute_, she wanted to say but she went with, "weird."

He obliged her with a smile. "We all have our ... idiosyncrasies," _coping mechanisms,_ he added in his head.

"What is that?"He nodded at the diary lying in her lap, tongues of different coloured paper sticking out from it.

"It's my day planner."

"Colour coded?" He looked amused.

"Of course! Pink for the most important ones; green for neutral tasks; blue for negligible ones; and yellow as a reminder to call my mom, which reminds me, I have to call my mom," Caroline said reaching for her cell-phone. Klaus smiled, "of course," he said letting himself out of the room.

He stood outside the room for a little while, leaning against the wall, listening to Caroline speak to her mother. Liz Forbes seemed like she was doing well, and so was that human boy, Donavan. The Gilbert boy was being troublesome. There was some suspicious activity in town but nothing she couldn't handle.

Klaus could hear how Caroline laughed and scoffed at all the right bits, how she admonished her mother for not taking her medication or meals on time. There was this lightness her conversation gave him – a sense of normalcy; an illusion of being loved.

He wondered how it felt to be admonished for something like not taking your meals on time – it must be a grand feeling to be scolded by Caroline Forbes with that voice full of concern, and heart full of warmth and love.

It would be a grand thing, indeed.

* * *

><p>"So, Caroline," Klaus asked training his gaze on her and using the full charm of his smile on her, "What are your plans?"<p>

They were all sitting at the breakfast table; the conversation had been flowing normally, sticking to safe topics like the weather, or the cinema. But Klaus had other plans, and propriety wasn't one of them. Caroline regarded his cheerful disposition warily.

"Nothing in particular..." Caroline said, putting on her Miss Mystic Falls Smile. She couldn't let Klaus know of her little trip to New Orleans. Caroline knew when it came to his 'kingdom'; he'd disregard everything and definitely want to know what Agnes had put Caroline up to. She couldn't risk her friends' lives because of Klaus's paranoia when there was nothing to worry about.

Caroline regarded him warily. "Going back to Mystic Falls then?" He asked, smiling as pleasantly as before. It made him look so...weird. And creepy.

"Going to make a few stops before I do," she replied warily. They _did _have the conversation last night didn't they? Why was he still poking around?

"Like, where?"

"Savannah," Caroline said from the top of her head.

"Really? Would you mind me coming for a bit then? We _are_ going in the same direction," Klaus smirked, making Caroline roll her eyes._ Ugh, stupid, stupid, _she admonished herself. She hadn't really intended to say, but it was a good cover...Kind of. It was unlikely that she'd run into Stefan, anyway.

"I guess so...It _is_ a long drive to Savannah," Caroline flashed a charming smile at Klaus, disarming him. He looked so shocked at her response, Caroline could only do so much to not burst out laughing, and even Agnes cracked a smile.

"A 55 hour drive, to be exact," Klaus said, or rather, as Caroline recognized that expression on his face, _challenged _her.

"I know," she said, showing him she wasn't afraid to spend time with him. She wasn't.

"I'll walk you to the car," Agnes said getting up.

* * *

><p>She could see Klaus was sleepy. He had insisted on driving for twelve hours straight and while Caroline had protested, she knew she couldn't win against the paranoid thousand year old vampire's stubbornness in this matter, so she let him drive. They had pulled into a gas station and Caroline had stepped out to get something to eat. When she got back she saw Klaus's eyes were closed. She slid into the next seat waiting for some time before waking him. Caroline held her breath as she felt his head slide to her side to rest against her shoulder.<p>

If she remained really still, it could almost be like she wasn't there and it wasn't really happening, so she wouldn't need to feel all these things. But it _was_ happening. And she _was_ there. Feeling all these things. And him. His breath against her sweater, his hair tickling her jaw. Before Caroline could even completely freak out about it, Klaus's head shot up.

"Did I fall asleep?" he asked, his eyes doing a 180 degree check to make sure everything was in its place.

"N- huh?" she must've seemed like such a blubbering stuttering idiot in that moment, especially with the confused look Klaus gave her. "No," she said gaining control over her senses. "Maybe for half a minute," she weakly smiled at him. He nodded and slid into the backseat, "well, love, I believe it's your turn," he said as he laid back on the backseat and, Caroline assumed, slept.

Spending almost two days with him, alone, cramped up in a car was too much. He was much too close for her thoughts to function clearly. 12 hours of _her_ driving, she decided it was time for him to wake up now. She pulled up at a gas station.

"Wake up, sleepy head," she tapped at the window as she got out to fill the tank. Klaus shot up, banging his head against the roof of the car with a loud 'thud'. Caroline grimaced. That must've hurt.

"Are you okay?"

Klaus shot her a glare. "Okay, grumpy," Caroline muttered bemusedly as she waited for the tank to fill. Klaus stepped out of the car to stand beside her.

"How is your life in New Orleans? You never did tell me."

Klaus sighed, with a faraway look in his eyes. "There's nothing to tell, really. It's not what I thought would be like." He wondered if he should tell her about Hope...just that she existed...at one point. If not the whole story.

"Caroline," he said, turning towards her.

"Yeah?" she recognized the seriousness in Klaus's voice. "What is it?"

"Well," he clutched at his head, massaging it vigorously. He didn't know how to say it...How did he go about this? He was too tired for this crap. "Nothing," he finally said. Caroline nodded slowly not pushing him.

"Okay, then. Do you want me to go get you something to eat?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in that adorable manner of hers'. Why couldn't things be simple? Why couldn't she love him like he loved her? Why couldn't he have a baby with her and be with her happily ever after? Klaus knew why he couldn't. It was because he would never be satisfied with a happily ever after, or just with her. He wanted the world, and he would never be satisfied until he had it all.

"Yes, thank you."

She nodded and walked towards the twenty-four-seven store.

* * *

><p>She could understand the poetics behind it, but not the name itself. It was so...common and distasteful. If her brothers were here they would probably call her shallow but honestly, Hope was such a dry name. Of course, that wasn't the only reason Rebekah called Hope by another name – she needed to protect her identity too after all. So Rebekah named her with a name she always thought she'd name her own baby girl. Aesa.<p>

Rebekah tucked Hope in her crib and went to tend to the annoying little cries against her door that she knew the little mongrel was making. She hadn't _really_ planned on patting the pup on her way to the supermarket, and she certainly did not plan on bringing him back home with her.

It had been one of her really good days, when she was high on happiness and intent on living the life of a perfectly normal kind lady – before the little mutt went and pooped on every damn thing in its way. _That _made Rebekah not want to do anything ladylike again. They were fucked up gender roles anyway. Like she had studied in school. 21st century education was _quite_ startling and honest. She loved it!

She sighed as she heard the little mutt whine. Supernatural hearing really didn't help her in situations like these. She opened the door and squatted in front of the puppy.

"You do _not_ get to be all bratty and poop all over the house – that is _not_ how things work in this house," she began but the puppy had run into the house already, squealing with happiness.

_Oh well,_ Rebekah thought as she went into the kitchen to get milk for the little monster. She could hear him in the living room, gnawing at a pillow.

"Come here, you little devil," she said as she set down a bowl of milk for him. He happily ran to her, lapping up all the milk hungrily and then excitedly pressing its face into her calves. She patted the little bugger.

"You're a good little boy, aren't you?" She scratched him behind the ears. He licked at her palm and tried to climb on to her shoulder. She lifted him up as she stood. "No more pooping everywhere, okay?" she told him sternly. "I've got enough of that crap from Aesa," she snorted at her own pun. The little pup only licked at her face.

She felt her gums ache and reached for the fridge for the blood she had stored in cranberry juice bottles. She had compelled Martha, the nanny, to never touch it. Of the little time she had spent with the Salvatore brothers and learnt of their storage of blood bags, Rebekah hadn't been inspired to do the same until much recently. It was quite handy – instead of leaving Aesa alone she could just quench her hunger with these blood bags.

A single mother would be much more noticeable in a small town or village, and personalized relationships would only expose them to more danger, so Rebekah chose a small Polish city, where the air was still fresh, and the relationships not so personal. She had even made some friends.

She was friends with the baker Eric, from whom she bought bread, she was friends this lady who lived in her building, and she was friends with this girl Elizabeth, who was a Canadian and had come to Poland to study. Oh, wait, there was the nanny too. Yep. The woman who helped look after Aesa. Except for Elizabeth, Rebekah didn't _really_ have friends. Even Elizabeth wasn't really a close friends. Somehow, with all her freedom, and all her dreams been given the opportunity to come true, Rebekah was still alone.

She couldn't understand why. The only friend, perhaps, she had truly had was that human girl April. Even they weren't that close.

Rebekah sat down on the sofa and looked on at the pup in her lap. He was perhaps one of her few friends. She couldn't understand why solitude always followed her. Why she couldn't make friends. Something burned in the pit of her stomach.

The terrible awful feeling of never knowing sisterhood or friendship – always being marginalized, always being outcast. She shook her head. She would not be one for self-pity. Rebekah put the little puppy down and straightened her sweater.

"I'll call you...Brownie," she decided, shrugging her shoulders and walking up to Aesa's room to check on her. Rebekah was sure she was in her crib sleeping, but she needed to make sure, even though she could hear her heartbeat clearly and the sound of her gurgled breathing.

The physical evidence was just a comfort Rebekah needed every day. Rebekah picked up Aesa from her crib and pressed her to her chest. She rubbed Aesa's back soothingly and hummed a lullaby. As long as she had Aesa, Rebekah knew she would be fine. She pressed a kiss against Aesa's forehead before checking her watch. It was one minute to five. The nanny would be here in a minute, Rebekah mused as she made her way to the kitchen.

Martha was a nanny Rebekah hired through a company. She was old but had a firmness Rebekah liked. She minded her own business and was excellent with Aesa. Not that she couldn't be compelled to be trustworthy but it was just easier when it was natural for her. Rebekah hadn't really planned on getting a nanny.

She had even scorned the whole idea of it. She wasn't a human mother after all, and she didn't need to work to earn money, neither did she feel fatigue very often. She always wanted a baby and she knew she would be the best mother. But what she hadn't accounted in was the baby itself.

The first week after arriving in Mielic it hadn't taken much time for Rebekah to settle in. She had bought a fully furnished house and taken her time to decorate the baby's nursery. She had also bought one of those expensive cameras, to take videos and capture every moment of the little creature's movements, so that when she returned to Niklaus and Hayley, it would be like they hadn't missed their child at all.

It was one of these days when Rebekah had stepped out of the house to get some groceries, leaving Hope sleeping in her crib. Upon her return she had found a wailing Hope on the floor. She had somehow fallen out of her crib and smarted her hands and feet. Rebekah's heart had lurched and she had felt her insides collapsed as she had scooped up a crying Hope in her arms and made her way to the nearest doctor's clinic.

She had been near tears about having hurt the baby and it took some convincing on the doctor's part to calm Rebekah down. After that things just started going downhill from there. There would be nights when Hope wouldn't stop crying and it was the fifth night in a row when Rebekah finally broke down crying.

She hadn't had a moment's of rest; she hadn't slept even one night since they arrived in Mielic because she was so paranoid that someone might show up on their doorstep. She had been too busy getting the house together, making sure Hope had things to eat, a place to sleep in. It was all too much. The last time she had had blood was 12 days ago and she was getting agitated and annoyed. All she could do now was cry. She felt pathetic, alone and helpless. Seeing Rebekah cry, made Hope only cry harder. The little hand clutched at her hair and the tiny feet kicked at her chin.

"I'm sorry, I'm such a mess," Rebekah said as she kissed Hope's foot. She wiped at her tears and rubbed Hope's back. Hope burped in Rebekah's face making her laugh. _Perhaps, all was not lost_. She wiped at her face and cooed at Hope, humming a lullaby till Hope fell asleep. She lay Hope to sleep next to herself and slept for eight hours straight before waking up to feed Hope. After bathing Hope and laying her down in her crib, she went out to grab a bite – a real one. On her way back, she called up a nanny company to help her with finding a nanny. Things were going to be okay.

The bell rang pulling Rebekah away from her memories. Martha was here.

"Hello, Martha," Rebekah greeted her in Polish as she let her in.

"Hello," Martha replied warmly as she hung her coat in the closet next to the door and walked towards the kitchen.

"What do you want for dinner?" She asked.

"Oh, anything. I'll just step out for a bit, yeah?" Rebekah flashed her a warm smile as she put on her shoes. She ached to be outside. Staying in the house too much was bad for her. She called Elizabeth.

"Hey, Elizabeth, fancy going out for a bit?"

* * *

><p>"You should get something to eat," Klaus said, pulling up at a gas station. They were finally in Savannah. He nodded towards a red-head and smirked. Caroline groaned. "Ugh, no, no, and <em>no,<em>" she looked away from determinedly. She was _not_ going to be bullied into eating a human. "I'll find a blood bag, later."

"There isn't a hospital for another 200km," Klaus said. Caroline looked at him questioningly, wondering how he knew that. He waved his cell-phone at her. "GPS, love. We _do_ live in the 21st century. It would be a shame not to enjoy the perks of technology," Klaus said as he started filling the tank. He looked past Caroline and smirked.

"Mind taking over for a minute, I think I saw a familiar face?" Klaus said with a menacing smile, shoving the nozzle into Caroline's palm. She rolled her eyes but humored him. He was back in a second.

"Look who I ran into," Klaus smirked nodding behind Caroline. Even before Caroline turned she knew who it would be.

"Stefan?" She breathed, feeling a gash in her heart opening up.

Stefan gave her a tentative smile. "Are you okay? I was worried when I saw you were with _him_," Stefan said moving towards her. His concern warmed her hardened heart. Caroline gave him a shrug.

"I'm fine," she said. Her tone and face held a note of finality which made Stefan halt in his steps. He realized Caroline wasn't feeling amicable towards him. He couldn't really blame her considering the recent events. But he couldn't really blame himself. It was just the way things were now. He sighed and maintained his distance. Klaus watched their exchange with much amusement and curiosity.

"What?" she growled at Klaus. He only shrugged making her stomp away angrily.

"Well, mate, now where is it did you say you were staying?" Klaus asked, putting on his menacing smirk as he wound his arms around Stefan's shoulders. Stefan shrugged off Klaus's arm as he led them to his house. His fresh start was _so_ not going according to plan. They followed Stefan's car and Caroline could feel Klaus's curious eyes boring holes into the side of her head. It took her all the will power in the world to not snap at him. When they got down upon reaching Stefan's house, Klaus held Caroline back, motioning Stefan to go ahead without them.

"What happened with you and Stefan?" Klaus asked, his hands wound behind his back. Caroline shook her head showing she didn't favour this topic, but Klaus refused to accommodate her and create a new avenue of conversation.

"_Well,_" Caroline could taste the bitterness of the entire situation on her tongue, "he's a jerk and – and I don't think we're friends anymore. Not in the way we were, at least."

She had hoped to be more, if she was honest. Stefan was just so...perfect. He was flawed in ways she was. He understood her and she understood him and they were just so perfect. And she was so stupid to even _conceive_ of such things because Stefan obviously still had a thing for Elena. And Caroline knew she could never compete with Elena or the doppelganger pull. Caroline was ordinary and she couldn't handle the pain accompanying loving someone extraordinary. She groaned, making Klaus look at her questioningly.

And here was Klaus. He looked at her like _she_ was extraordinary even though she had done nothing out of the ordinary. She was just...herself. And even in that, this vile terrible person everyone had assumed to be incapable of emotion or empathy had found _her, Caroline_, to be extraordinary. It made Caroline want to laugh and cry at the same time. Why did it have to be _him_? This vile inhuman vampire to cherish her in the way she wished to be cherished?

She wanted to break a tree.

"I'll live," she says finally, giving him a lopsided smile. "I've had worse."

Klaus smiles back like he _knows_ she will; like he knows _her_.

"Let's just get this over with."

* * *

><p>They were lying down next to each other on the grass just like he and Caroline had done a week ago. Klaus felt this terrible pain shoot through him at the sight of ease and comfort Caroline and Stefan painted. They looked terribly...compatible. And happy. He wanted to rip the Ripper's intestines out for this relationship he shared with Caroline. It was more than friendship. Klaus could sense it in the way Caroline looked at Stefan. There was a terrible longing in it which made Klaus angry and hurt at the same time.<p>

"I've been looking up at the sky too often, nowadays," Caroline mused. "I think I have a sky-fetish."

Stefan gave her a dry smile and lay down on the grass next to her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He looks at her to make sure she's listening. "Before...that is." Caroline turned to give him a very Caroline-Smile that made his insides feel lighter.

"Of all the people in the world to help, I didn't think it would be Klaus."

"What do you mean?" Stefan's eyebrows crinkled.

"Well, I ran into him," Caroline got a pointed look from Stefan at that, which she ignored, "and told him of our...situation and he gave me a witch's address to look up. Said it'll be helpful. He's helping me more than anybody at the moment," Caroline moved her head to gaze at the sky indicating she was done speaking about this. "I found a witch who could possibly help... but first, I need deliver something on her behalf."

"What is it?"

"It's a_..." letter to a son; informing him of his father's slow descent into insanity_, Caroline wanted to say but she went with, "not that important."

"I haven't looked up at the sky in such a long time," Stefan said, his voice rid of the graveness it earlier carried.

"I remember as kids Bonnie, Elena and I would lie down on Bonnie's porch and make shapes out of clouds and Bonnie and I would usually end up fighting over who was right and Elena would usually play the arbitrator...Sometimes we'd play these pranks on Elena and tell her Jeremy and Tyler were responsible for it…" Caroline turned to lie on her side, folding her arm underneath her head as a pillow, to look at Stefan.

"It seems like forever ago. We could never have thought our lives would've come to ...this…" Caroline's mouth twisted. "I'm going to save them. Even if I have to do it all alone. I don't care, Stefan. I'm not going to let this break me. Or let you break me." Caroline sat up and gave Stefan a smile so sad but warm it made his heart hurt. It had no bitterness at all. He wondered how Caroline managed to remain so happy, so pure. He looked away guiltily.

"I'm going to save everyone," Caroline said as she got up and dusted her shorts, giving him her hand and a sunny Caroline smile to go with. Stefan couldn't help but take her hand and allow her to pull him up. For one entire untouched untarnished moment, he believed she _would_ save everyone – and what a glorious happy moment it was. Only she could save everyone. Stefan was too tired. Too cowardly. Too empty. Caroline put her arms around him holding him. She could feel Stefan's body shudder a little before relaxing into her touch. They pulled away when someone – Klaus, cleared his throat behind them. He had a grave expression on his face.

"We should get going, love. It's getting dark. We need to get to New Orleans before tomorrow."

"You're going to New Orleans? With _him?"_ Stefan asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Not really, I'm heading to Mystic Falls, to meet up with my mother. New Orleans is just on the way," Caroline tried to keep her voice level, but her eyes gave her away. She had always been a terrible liar and Stefan noticed the way her eyes flitted to the ground for just a second before she completed speaking. She was definitely lying. He didn't know why, but judging the fact that Klaus was there, he didn't prod.

"Okay, call me," Stefan said hugging her once more, letting her know that he was there. As much as he could be. He could see Klaus getting impatient and somewhat jealous. He only smirked at the Hybrid which made him frown more. Evidently, Klaus was still pretty much had it in for Caroline. But the question was, did she?

* * *

><p>Hayley didn't know what Elijah was up to. He was being especially cryptic nowadays, taking extra care to exclude Hayley from his plans without explicitly making it look like that. So, Hayley decided to venture forth and make her own plans. She didn't need to be a part of someone else's plans to feel useful. She did have things to do. She needed to go down to the Bayou and speak to the wolves. Klaus believed she could do it. Elijah half-heartedly believed she could do it. Hayley <em>knew<em> she would do it. It was only a matter of time.

"Why should we let you lead us?"

"She's part _vampire_," Someone – a man with ginger hair spat, taking a step towards her. Hayley resisted the urge to give in to her instincts and rip the man's tongue out of his mouth.

"She's also _part_ wolf," someone, a brown haired girl claimed.

_Why should they follow me_?

"Because there is a war coming. I can help you. I can negotiate better living standards for you. You wouldn't need to live like this anymore."

"You talk like a mediator. And that is wonderful. But why, why should we let you be our leader?"

Hayley gave a confused look to the person who asked this question.

"I mean, we get it that you're wolf royalty and everything but _why_ should we concede to your leadership? You've hardly known us at all. We sure as hell don't know you. You're basically a stranger, a _hybrid_, who's waltzed in here claiming her birthright. Try to look it at through our eyes. You cannot lead us if you're not part of us."

"You're not," this old person with a kind face said, "family."

Hayley could feel her heart break into two. Not family. All her life she'd been searching for her pack, her _family_ – only to be told blood did not matter as much as time.

"Maybe that is what you need. Not family. I can help you. You might not consider me part of you right now, but I ask for the chance to earn the right to be your leader. Although a hybrid, I will fight to protect your rights and ensure something like this _never_ happens to you again, - to _us_ again."

"How do you propose to earn our trust?"

"Why, by being a part of you, of course," Hayley smirked a smirk she knew would make Klaus proud and Elijah flinch.

* * *

><p>The tips of his fingers tease hers'; his thumb skims over the back of her palm. Their fingers move around each other with ease. Her palm engulfs his palm. There was this comfort that holding hands gave, which was lost to Hayley in any other gesture of theirs'. It was just so private. So reassuring. Hayley pressed Elijah's palm against her cheek.<p>

"I need to talk to you," she said.

"What is it?" Elijah sat up, his face set in panic. He could sense from Hayley's tone that whatever she was going to relay to him was not going to be good.

"Well," she said, "its good news. I'm going to be living in the Bayou with the wolves from now on. I'm moving there. I have to live with them, if I have to convince them I can lead them. I can't be there queen if I refuse to live in the same kingdom as theirs," she said firmly, crossing her arms across her chest. She knew Elijah wouldn't like the idea of it – could see it in the firm set of his jaw, and the hard tinge of his eyes. He was not liking this.

"I have to do this," she said, sitting on her knees, towering over him. "_Elijah,_ say something," she touched his shoulder. He shrugged her touch off.

"Well, it seems like you've already decided so I don't know why my opinion should be of concern to you," he said coldly as he got out of bed.

"Oh, come on, Elijah, that's unfair and even you know it," she followed him out into the hall. He seemed to be hell bent on mapping the geography of the whole mansion while they argued.

"Can you at least look at me when I talk? You're being extremely childish," Hayley called out as Elijah disappeared down the stairs. He flashed in front of her, in an effort to alarm her, it seemed, but it was in vain for Hayley had already heard him – hybrid senses and all.

She gave him a mean look. "I am not being childish," Elijah all but pouted. Hayley rolled her eyes. "Can we please sit down and talk about this like adults? I do believe this warrantees a discussion."

Elijah sighed but followed her grudgingly. "You do know Klaus will not be happy about this."

"I don't really care about what Klaus thinks," Hayley said stubbornly, though they both knew it was false. "I'll deal with that when he returns."

Elijah shrugged. Hayley stepped in front of him. "What I want to know is what you feel about this."

Elijah pursed his lips. "You know how I feel – "

"No, I don't," Hayley said, annoyed. She knew he didn't like it or _approve_ of it, but she needed to know what _exactly_ His Highness had a problem with. They were...together, weren't they? Wasn't this what couples did when they disagreed? Sit down and come up with a compromise? It wasn't like Hayley's side of the compromise would include giving up her moving into the Bayou, but _his_ side of the compromise could be moving_ in_ with her...or something...Unless he thought he was too good for all this.

"Well," Elijah bit out grudgingly. "With the possibility of Mikael being back, followed by Esther, I don't think it's the best move to make...it's dangerous."

"But it's always going to be dangerous...and if you're so worried, you can always move in with me," she lifted her chin to show him it wasn't a pathetic weak request on her part. She wasn't going to beg. She was going to ask. And he was going to give his answer, and she was going to accept it and move on. With or without him.

"Hayley," his face softened, "I – I can't leave Niklaus..." Of course. Klaus. Hayley wanted to kill that insecure little shit. She knew he would take her 'departure' as some sort of a betrayal in his sick little mind. He could never really think of others. No matter how much Hayley thought him family, she couldn't deny the fact that Klaus was an asshole. He seemed to want to live up to the tag too. She could punch a wall.

"Right," she said dejectedly. First, they couldn't get together afraid of what Niklaus Mikaelson might think, and now they couldn't move in together, again afraid of what Niklaus Mikaelson might think. Why was it always about Klaus? It was so unfair. For him to go and have his love story, or from what she heard of him on the phone, a failed love story, but still an opportunity to even have one, while she, Hayley was supposed to sit tight here and not change at all, make sure mighty Klaus didn't have any anxiety attack over the new developments in his brother's life. God-fucking-dammit!

"So, are we done, then?" she asked, brazenly. Elijah flinched.

"I don't know, are we...?" Elijah asked, hesitantly.

"I don't know either," Hayley said, annoyed at Elijah's peckish behaviour. She hoped he'd just toughen up and pull his shit together. She was tired of being the one making all the sacrifices. 'I don't know' was the best she could come up with at the moment.

"Who'll tell Niklaus?" Elijah asked as she headed back into their room for the night.

"Let him find out on his own."

* * *

><p><strong>Read and Review, Lovelies Tell me what you think of the Klaroline relationship, and Steroline and Elijah and Hay<strong>ley. OMG I LOVE REBEKAH SO MUCH. Tell me what you thought of her part? And Hope's new name as Aesa? Is it okay? I'm so nervous! Don't hate meeee omg

I want to know how you're finding my interpretation of each of their characters and their stories, if you think something is lacking or If you're expecting something more?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

English Pop music mixed with Polish Pop blasted loudly through the club. Her skin vibrated with the music, and she wondered how it was affecting those who were human and frail. How was the music not breaking through their fragile skin and eating it all up? Rebekah smiled coquettishly at the man in the leather jacket who had been eyeing her for quite a bit.

"Elizabeth," Rebekah said turning to her, "you should hook up with that guy," she said nodding towards the Leather Jacket Man. Elizabeth snorted.

"Yeah, I should do a lot of things. Like, _study, _because my exams are in two weeks," Elizabeth had a pitiful expression on. Rebekah stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, don't sulk. It makes you look ugly," Rebekah said earning a swat in the arm by Elizabeth. "Also, _what_ are you wearing? I thought we agreed that the dress code was slutty," Rebekah picked at Elizabeth's hoodie with a wrinkled nose, "not death."

"Well, I haven't had a chance to get around to doing my laundry. These were the only clothes I had left," Elizabeth said defensively, pulling her hoodie closer to her. She gulped down another shot of vodka. "And, I think it should be _you_ who should be getting laid. When was the last time you got some after baby daddy bailed?"

Rebekah made a face. She had told everyone that the father had forsaken responsibility of the baby after leaving her. It helped with the sympathy portion and kept people from asking any questions.

But Elizabeth _was_ right. Rebekah hadn't really been intimate with anyone for a long time. She didn't feel comfortable enough or secure enough for that...yet.

Rebekah nudged Elizabeth when she saw the guy was approaching them. "Look interesting, he's coming over here," Rebekah sent a warning glare at Elizabeth who only huffed in response but seemed to have acquiesced to play the part when she sported a forced smile on her face. "Oh, look how pretty you are, love," Rebekah said condescendingly.

"Hello, can I buy you ladies a drink?" the man asked.

Rebekah smirked at Elizabeth. "Sure," Rebekah said gesturing towards the empty bar stool next to her.

* * *

><p>"I'd never have imagined myself like this," Caroline mused. Klaus looked at her as she sat with her elbow resting against the window, her palm cupping her cheek.<p>

"Here?" Klaus asked turning his gaze towards the road, not wishing to look at her for fear of pairing her sad expression with her response which he thought would hurt him.

"Just here," Caroline shrugged. "With all this happening."

"Did you ever imagine your life turning out the way it has...?"

Klaus shook his head. "Hardly."

Klaus noticed Caroline was doing her half-smile thing where she was curious and surprised at his response. He knew a question as coming his way – or a dozen. "How so?"

"How is this century different from any other?" she asked, turning away from the window towards which she had aligned her entire body for the better part of the trip to face him.

"Well," Klaus said looking at the road, "it seems this _century_ or rather just these past few years has been the most important ones. Quite a few things I had previously considered impossible for myself have been coming true more often than not."

Caroline didn't say anything at his response. She wondered if she was one of those things, if she wasn't. Both scenarios would do not good to her so she decided to shut up and stare at the road.

"Did you...imagine your life to turn out the way it did?"

Caroline let out a startled laugh. "Did I imagine waking up one day in the hospital to find I'm a _vampire_? No!"

"What did you want?" he asked, curiously. Caroline is reminded of another time when he had sat her down asked her of her _hopes, dreams and everything you want in life_.

"I wanted a – a family, four kids and a husband to love. A house with a white picket-fence," Caroline said with a soft smile on her face. "I was going to run for Mayor," she said closing her eyes and letting the cool breeze press against her face. "It was all going to be quite picturesque."

"_C'est la vie,_" Klaus said. Caroline shrugged. "You've changed..." she remarked cocking her head to the side. "I couldn't put my finger on it before but now it's clear as day."

Klaus gazed at her curiously. "How so?"

"You ... seem tired," Caroline said biting her lip, "and it's not the tiredness of physical fatigue. It feels like...," she hesitated. She didn't know if she should say it.

Klaus looked at her expectantly prompting her with a "like what?" when she didn't respond.

"Well, it feels like...death."

* * *

><p>Living with the werewolves was no party. Hayley moved into the cabin which she had previously resided in with Elijah when Klaus had bitten him. She felt a pang of hurt go through her body at the thought of Elijah and his rejection of her proposal to have a life together but she ignored it. There was no point in thinking about things that could not be changed.<p>

The first plan in convincing the plan she could lead them was to make sure she had all of her pack members together – especially their former alpha. That would inspire trust, Hayley thought as she made her way to the swamp where Jackson was hiding.

He was sitting outside his trailer, looking like he had forgotten what a razor looked like considering his Santa Claus beard. _Santa Klaus_, Hayley suddenly realized and choked down the giggle that threatened to burst forth. She couldn't wait to tell Elijah of the nickname she had thought up for Klaus and tease the hell out of Klaus when he returned. She was hit with the sudden painful realization that it would not possible for things between them were strained. When Klaus would come to know of her departure he would sure as hell throw a New Orleans sized tantrum. She sighed audibly at the thought waking Jackson to her presence.

"Hey, Jackson," Hayley said tentatively as she approached him. He stunk and Hayley found herself drawing parallels between him and Elijah before she could stop herself. Even grieving Elijah would never allow himself to physically decay like Jackson had, she mused. Everybody grieved differently and Jackson's grieving threatened to burn through Hayley's nostrils.

"Don't you look like a party," she said sarcastically as she picked through the cans of beers he was surrounded with.

"Hey, Hayley," Jackson said in his gruff voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to bring you home," she said softly but firmly.

"Home? This is my home," Jackson said heaving himself up. His action shot a few beer cans in different directions.

"And what a splendid sight it makes," Hayley muttered. "Well, I meant your real home. With the pack."

"I can't go there. Not after I failed them –"

"You can't be a bum, Jackson," Hayley said annoyed, "you cannot give up."

"Now I could stand here and give you some long-ass inspirational speech which might boost your spirits for two seconds before you realize their futility or you could just realize that I'm your best shot right now at making things better in your life and follow me."

"I can't do it," Jackson said glaring at her. "I can't go back. I can't lead them."

"Well, it's a good thing then that I'm not asking you to."

Jackson's eyes snapped to hers' curiously, inquiringly. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean,"_ Hayley said walking up to him, making sure she had his full attention, "I am going to be the alpha."

Jackson looked dumbfounded. "You – you," he sputtered.

"Yes, me," Hayley said as she went into his trailer and looked for things which needed packing. She could find nothing among the garbage. She'd allow the man to pack for himself anyway; she was not his mother or maid.

"Now haul your ass up and follow me. If you can't lead your pack, then at least help me lead it," she said as she threw the door of his beaten truck open and waited for him to get in. Jackson sighed and moved at the pace of a turtle before he finally realized Hayley was not going to leave him at peace.

"If I'm going to take care of this pack, then that means you too," she said softly as he got into the truck without physically protest. She knew he was humouring her because of some ill-found affection he had in his heart owing to some marriage they both had been destined for. Hayley felt more like Klaus in that moment for manipulating him knowing her hold on him but she couldn't help it. There were things to be done and sentiments could wait.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry I said that, I shouldn't have," Caroline said as they reached the periphery of New Orleans. After her little comment Klaus had been silent the whole ride refusing to participate in any form of conversation. It made Caroline feel terrible. But now Klaus waved her off.<p>

"It doesn't matter. I forget, sometimes, just how insightful you can be," he was smiling softly. "Well, Caroline I would invite you to my home but I see you have things to do and errands to run."

Klaus said as he pressed a kiss against Caroline's temple. Caroline blushed surprised at his gesture.

"Fare well, sweetheart. Call me if you need anything," Klaus said as he disappeared into the night. That was the most abrupt and endearing good bye Caroline had ever received. But seriously, so abrupt. Caroline smiled softly as her fingers grazed the skin where Klaus had kissed her.

Caroline drove down the road leading to Virginia for fifteen minutes before she decided it was safe enough to take a U-turn and start working on tracking down Marcellus. She had things to do after all. She was surprised by an abrupt phone call on her cell phone. It was...Stefan.

"Stefan?" she answered, surprised.

"Caroline, how are you?" Stefan's voice was surprisingly formal and cautious. Was he okay?

"I'm...good?" Caroline said hesitantly. "Are you okay? You sound kind of...off."

"Are you alone?" Stefan asked softly.

"Yes," Caroline said her eyebrows crinkling wondering what on earth was happening.

"Oh, good! I was just worried Klaus might be there. I timed your journey, including stops and I even added in an extra hour. How long has it been since he left?" Stefan asked.

"Wow, Stefan, you're really good at arithmetic," Caroline said, considerably impressed. "It's been almost twenty minutes."

"Well, _someone_ had to be. Who would you have cheated off of tests in High School, otherwise?"

Caroline laughed. "Touché. So, why did you call?"

"Just checking in, seeing how things are proceeding,"

"What things?"

"Caroline," Stefan said with an exasperated sigh, "I know you're up to something dangerous or stupid. So I'm just making sure you don't get yourself killed. Whatever it is you're doing, you don't need to tell me. I don't deserve it," Stefan said.

_You don't want to know_, Caroline thought sadly. _Scared of getting involved and uprooted from your new home_, she realized.

"But don't be surprised if I call in now and then to check on you," Stefan said.

"O-kay," Caroline said hesitantly. It sounded bizarre but she was willing to accept it. Stefan was trying, however small and puny his contribution, he was trying to be more involved and Caroline was willing to accept it.

"Well, right now, I'm on my way to track someone down, I'll talk to you later, okay, Stefan?"

"Okay, bye, Caroline. I love you," he said softly. Caroline's heart lurched.

"I love you too, Stefan," Caroline hung up. As soon was Caroline reached the main part of the town she was bombarded with music and lights. Klaus was right – New Orleans was beautiful. It was orange and brown, with music flowing everywhere. It was electric and Caroline felt annoyed and sad that she couldn't stay to enjoy all this beauty. "You have things to do, Caroline. Buck up," she muttered to herself as she entered a bar and looked for an easy prey.

* * *

><p>Introducing Jackson to the pack had been easier than getting the stench off his body. Even after bathing for an hour, the faint smell of alcohol and cigarettes stuck to his skin like glue. "Take this," Hayley said throwing him her perfume bottle.<p>

"Trust me," she said raising his eyebrows at him daring him to challenge her.

The pack had taken her inclusion of Jackson into the pack as an act of goodwill. While some had considered getting Jackson back as their alpha instead of Hayley she had had a panic attack. But Jackson had stepped up and told them he was not up for it. Jackson was a good man but not really a leader and it was apparent to everyone in his admission.

"We're going to have to get you a new set of clothes too," Hayley muttered.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine," he groaned. "So, you're here permanently...?" he asked hesitantly. Hayley nodded. "Yes, I am."

She knew he wanted to ask about Elijah. She wasn't going to make it easy for him by giving him the answers before he inquired. Besides, it was fun to see him squirm uncomfortably. "So...what about Klaus and Elijah?" Jackson almost spit the last word.

_Men,_ Hayley rolled her eyes, _they were so dramatic_.

"What about them?" she asked, innocently.

"I mean – how did they take you leaving? They were okay with you leaving?"

"Well, regardless of their feelings, I'm here, aren't I?" Hayley said, raising an eyebrow.

Jackson raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, great. I'm glad. This was always your destiny, Hayley. To lead your people. It was our destiny," Jackson said the last part softly.

"I don't know what was in my destiny and neither do I care for it. I know what I want and I'm going to get it," Hayley said firmly hoping he'd let the matter of their betrothal rest forever. She didn't want to think about it ever. She needed Jackson to be a trustworthy advisor. She didn't want to think of him as more than that. Neither did she want him to entertain any thoughts about him being anything more than his friend and Alpha.

"So, I'm going to go around and see how everybody's doing – find out what they want, so I can represent them at the council."

Jackson nodded. "I'll come with you," Jackson said getting up. As soon as they stepped out of the cabin a cry pierced through the sky making their blood cold.

_Vampire in the Bayou_, the cry said.

* * *

><p>Caroline had managed to gather information about Marcellus from a sleazebag who couldn't wait to get his hands on her. But, Caroline smiled and giggled, and played her part until she got all the information she needed. Apparently, Marcellus, or Marcel as he called himself now, had been the vampire king of New Orleans until he was recently banished to the outskirts of the French Quarter after a bloody battle for power.<p>

"Niklaus Mikaelson, that asshole of an Original Vampire, now has control over the city," the man slurred.

"Does he now?"

"Yeah, he – he," but before he could say more the man passed out conveniently. Well, Caroline's work had been done. She made her way to the outskirts of Quarter when she was surprised with a cry. _Werewolf_, her eyes widened with fear and her blood turned cold as she realized to the haunting realization. The cry sounded three miles away but was enough for her to haul her ass away from the swamp and run with all her might towards where she knew Marcel resided. When she was sure she was safe and at the right place she took a deep breath and composed herself before she made her way upstairs.

She knocked at the door hesitantly and was surprised when she was greeted by a coquettish smile from a man.

"Marcellus?" she asked, unsure.

"Yours truly," he flashed his teeth.

"Good, can I come in? I need to speak to you about something," Caroline said in a firm voice refusing to let Marcel know how freaked out she was. Marcel opened the door wider and Caroline stepped in doing a 360 degree check, taking note of all the exit and entry points.

"Please," Marcel said gesturing towards the chaise in the drawing room as he walked towards a small cabinet which held a decanter of liquor and some glasses. Caroline sat down on the chaise as she waited for him to pour himself a drink.

"Do you want some?" he asked. Caroline shook her head. Marcel seemed like a ...friendly person. He didn't pose any immediate threat and didn't come off as intimidating. For someone who was previously the King of New Orleans he didn't seem to be vain or arrogant and for someone who was now banished to a pathetic loft at the outskirts of the city he once ruled he didn't seem embittered or cruel. The decor seemed to reflect his personality – calm white walls and red chaise and brown chairs. It was friendly and inviting. He seemed...nice. It freaked Caroline out.

"So, what is this about?" Marcel asked as he got back to sit from across her.

"Well," Caroline said producing the letter from her pocket, "I'm actually here to deliver something from a witch called Agnes. Know her?"

Caroline asked. Marcel's eyes snapped to hers' and the friendly demeanour changed to something more dark and threatening.

"Yes," Marcel said as he leaned back and his eyes dissected Caroline. She could sense his curiosity about her.

"Well, she sent me with this letter for you," she extended the letter to him.

"What is it about?" Marcel asked eyeing the letter suspiciously, unwilling to touch it.

"It's –," Caroline hesitated. "It's nothing physically harming or anything. It's better if you read it."

She just needed him to touch the letter and open it which would allow the hex placed on the letter to vanish. Marcel scrutinized her face before finally, after one excruciatingly long minute, allowed his fingers to touch the envelope and open it.

His eyes never left hers and it seemed as if he was waiting for a bomb to go off. Who the hell was Agnes to him and what had she done to him for him to be so paranoid?

His eyes skimmed over the letter and suddenly his shoulders slumped as if the words in the letter had physically weighed him down.

"Thank you for this letter," Marcel folded it and put it on the table next to him. Caroline got up to leave.

"You're welcome. I'll be leaving now," Caroline said as she walked towards the door. Marcel nodded looking lost in thought. Caroline quietly let herself out.

* * *

><p>Hayley didn't like Caroline Forbes for many reasons. She was the Little Miss Perfect who made Hayley feel self-conscious and really angry. She loathed the way the vampire had friends, a family, and despite all the crap that she'd been put through, she still emerged a winner. Hayley didn't think it fair – for one person to have it all and have it so good. But as Hayley saw Caroline emerge from Marcel's lair, she realized there might be yet another to not like Caroline Forbes.<p>

She had followed the direction where Anna, the wolf who had alerted everyone to the vampire's presence, had pointed regarding the vampire's disappearance. To say that Hayley was more than surprised at being led to Marcel's lair and then to find Caroline Forbes exiting from there would be the understatement of the year. Whoever the vampire was, was still lurking, but Hayley couldn't help but confront Little Miss Mystic Falls regarding her presence in New Orleans.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Hayley asked. Klaus hadn't told Hayley that Caroline would be coming with him to New Orleans. She didn't even know that things between them had smoothed out. The last time that they spoke, she thought she and Klaus were done with. Thought to be fair, Klaus hadn't really told her _anything_, because they hadn't really spoken. At all. She was kind of avoiding his calls. But if Caroline was here, that meant Klaus was in town too. Hayley wondered when he'd returned and how come he hadn't stalked her down and created a scene yet.

Caroline's eyes widened as she took Hayley's presence in. The last time she'd seen or thought of Hayley was when she had betrayed Tyler and had gotten twelve hybrids killed. Caroline bared her fangs, angrily, wondering what possessed the traitorous bitch to show her face to Caroline.

"Easy," Hayley said, waving her off casually. She didn't seem scared – something Caroline wasn't prepared for. She had expected Hayley to be making a run for it. Werewolves weren't as strong when they weren't in their wolf form and they definitely weren't lethal. But all this seemed to not have any effect on Hayley for she seemed calmer and more confident than Caroline had ever seen her to be. She seemed... older. There was also something different about her but Caroline couldn't put her finger on it. "I won't bite," Hayley smirked. Caroline almost flinched with the way it was so similar to Klaus's smirk.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here? Does _Klaus_ know you're here?" Caroline said raising her chin and waiting for the wolf to cower but only smugness informed her face.

"Does he know _you're_ here?" Hayley said nodding towards' Marcel's apartment building. The blonde looked startled making Hayley smirk victoriously. "I didn't think so. Let's tell him, shall we?"

"No, need for that, love," someone – Klaus, said from one of the balconies of the buildings they were surrounded with, blurring to stand in front of them.

"Klaus," Hayley said feeling a little relieved to see him, but also feeling wary considering she didn't know if he knew she'd left their home. _His_ home. Ugh, just home.

"Hayley," he greeted her before turning to Caroline.

"Caroline," Klaus said coming up from behind her. "What _are_ you doing here?"

Caroline felt her whole body freeze as she realized the predicament she had found herself in. The best thing she could do now was hope to distract Klaus. She thanked the heavens Hayley was here. Surely she could come up with a decent enough excuse to convince Klaus she was not doing anything treacherous while he took care of the traitorous wolf.

"Klaus – _Hayley," _Caroline urged gesturing towards the wolf. But Klaus only remained rooted to the spot with a regretful expression on her face. He gave her a look she couldn't fathom. It was sad and angry and – _defeated_. "What are you doing here? Why did you go to Marcel's?"

Caroline bit her lip. "Seems like little Miss Sunshine has more up her sleeves than we originally thought," Hayley said as she crossed her arms across her chest. Klaus's eyes snapped to hers' and he seemed to have realized something. _Uh-oh_, Hayley thought.

"Elijah told me of your decision for _emancipation_," Klaus said as he walked towards Hayley in a very threatening manner. Hayley, however, seemed unaffected. "Did he, now?" she asked casually, but there was a hint of bitterness to it.

"Klaus? What's happening?" Caroline asked, her eyebrows crinkling and eyes shimmering with distrust. Why wasn't Hayley running? Why was Klaus so calm about her presence? What on earth was going on here?

"I see you didn't tell her," Hayley sneered. Caroline's eyes widened.

"Are you two –," Caroline began flabbergasted, but Hayley interrupted her with "No, No, ew! _No_." But then her expression wavered. "Well," she exchanged a look with Klaus who looked like he wanted to murder someone, "it's complicated. But that can wait, what are _you_ doing here? What is she doing here, Klaus?" Hayley asked with what Caroline called her 'Bitch-Face.'

Klaus shrugged and turned to Caroline, "Yes, what _exactly_ are you doing here, darling? I thought you were on your way to Mystic Falls."

"I _was_," Caroline licked her lips nervously, "But things happened and...I had to change my course." She was such a terrible liar, she wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out. Klaus raised an eyebrow and took a threatening step toward her. "Which was what, exactly?" He enjoyed the fear emanating from her. It made him feel powerful and in control and lately Klaus felt out of control too often.

"Um," Caroline pursed her lips, "whatever it was, I'm done, safe to say. All I need to do now is grab some things and make my way back," she gave him her best diplomatic smile and thumbs up. Klaus's eyes shined with mirth and there was a small smirk on his face, but his gait remained threatening and predatory. Caroline cleared her throat. "Well, thank you for..." she searched for the right words, "all your help. And it was nice meeting you, Hayley," Caroline said with her fake smile which Hayley reciprocated, "but I should really get going."

"Back to Agnes?" Klaus asked. Caroline's face must've shown the frightened expression before she covered it up because when she said, "N- No, to Mystic Falls."

He didn't seem convinced, what with all her stuttering?

"Now, see, why do I not believe you when you say that?" he took a step towards her predatorily.

"Maybe...because you're a paranoid thousand year old Hybrid with trust issues?" she offered with a charming smile. Hayley snorted at her response and Klaus cracked a smile.

"Come now, love, don't be so difficult. Tell me what you were doing with Marcel," Klaus almost spat his name. Caroline clenched her palms into fists. "I can't, Klaus. I – can't," she said hoping he'd understand he seemed to have, with the way he clenched his jaw tightly. "Is it going to hurt me?"

Caroline bit her lip. "I can't answer that. Or anything. You know that," she said looking at him apologetically. He shook his head bitterly as he looked away angrily. All of them were surprised when a cry pierced through the sky.

"There's a vampire in the Bayou," Hayley said as she moved to run towards the Bayou when Klaus blocked her way.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To help them," Hayley said angrily as she shoved Klaus away and blurred into the darkness. Klaus glared after her before clamping down on Caroline's arm and dragging her behind Hayley.

"What are you doing?"

"A vampire mass murderer is running rampant," Klaus bit out angrily as they tried to listen to where Hayley was at. "And the safest place you can be right now is with me."

"Well, I've been safe from a mass murdering vampire before without your help," Caroline said pointedly. "In fact, if I remember correctly, the mass murderer was _you."_

Klaus ignored her rude remark as he whisked them to the place where Caroline assumed Klaus thought Hayley was at. They were too late for a werewolf lay with his head snapped on the ground.

There were other wolves there transforming into their human selves and Klaus made sure to keep Caroline behind him. He assessed the way the wolf was killed and felt his blood turn cold.

"The vampire got away," Hayley muttered. She could feel the tension growing between Klaus and the other wolves. She sighed.

"I think I might know who's done this," Klaus said, ignoring the glares of the wolves.

"Who?" Hayley demanded.

"Mikael," he said with his jaw clenched.

"What?" Caroline almost shrieked. Hayley looked at Klaus with a frown and pressed a hand to her forehead. _Not fucking Mikael, _she thought angrily.

"Why is he attacking wolves? Isn't he a vampire hunter?" Hayley gestured towards Caroline, who glowered at her suggestion. Klaus shrugged.

"I'm afraid I do not know the workings of my psychopathic father's mind," Klaus said with a sigh.

"Ironic," Hayley muttered and Klaus sent her a glare. Caroline suppressed a smile at Hayley's comment and was surprised to do so. Hayley did _not_ just make a joke at Klaus's expense and he did _not_ just take it with ease. Caroline was so freaked out at the weird relationship dynamics that were present between Hayley and Klaus. Hayley and Klaus were _friends_ or something – and now Mikael was alive? What on earth was going on in New Orleans? This was a good time to break a tree, Caroline mused.

"What do we do now?" someone – Clarisse, from the pack, asked Hayley. Hayley pursed her lips.

"I guess Hayley will have to accompany Caroline and I to my humble abode so that we can confer with my brother to try and come up with a solution for this," Klaus smirked menacingly.

Hayley scoffed at his suggestion while Caroline's eyes widened in shock. "I – I need to go, Klaus. To Agnes," Caroline protested. Also, this place was freaking the hell out of her.

"I'm sure it can wait for a day, sweetheart. I'm not entirely sure we're done talking. And you," He turned to Hayley, "tell me if you've got a better plan in mind."

Among the glare of the wolves and the smug smirk of Klaus Hayley felt the need to present herself as confident and competent. She knew Klaus was her best shot at defeating Mikael and there would be no point in pretending otherwise.

"Humble abode it is," Hayley said angrily as she gestured him to lead the way.

"Now, darling, where did you say you parked your car?" Klaus turned towards Caroline who groaned and led them to outside of Marcel's place.

"Why were you at Marcel's?" Caroline asked curiously as they walked towards her car.

"I have informants all over town and when someone informed me that a pretty blonde vampire with blue eyes had been asking around for Marcel I knew I had to check it out," Klaus said simply as he opened the door to Caroline's car for her.

When they pulled outside Klaus's _house_ which seemed something like out of a fairy tale considering how gloomy and dreadful it looked. To Caroline's surprise, Elijah greeted them at the door.

"I heard you come," his eyes were trained on Hayley. Hayley nodded at him and something passed between them which Caroline couldn't understand. It looked like something was going on between them. Something _sexual_. EW. WHAT ON EARTH WAS HAPPENING HERE? She _had_ to tell Stefan about this.

"Stop smiling like its Christmas, you might scare Klaus's _guest_," Hayley muttered as she walked into the house as if she owned it. Klaus rolled his eyes while Caroline glowered at her. The smile on Elijah's face vanished as his eyes fell on Caroline.

"Miss Forbes, how do you do?" Elijah turned to her as if he had only just seen her. _Yep, he was so far gone_, Caroline thought.

"I'm fine, thank you," Caroline said politely.

"We're here to discuss the reappearance of your heavenly father, _Mikael," _Hayley explained to Elijah who seemed confused at the gathering.

"He has made an appearance from whichever circle of hell was hiding in. He killed a wolf."

Caroline noted how Elijah reached out to hold Hayley's hand at the last part. "I'm terribly sorry, Hayley," he said clutching onto her hand. Hayley smiled him softly. "I know."

"We have to find father so I can kill him," Klaus said holding a glass of scotch in his hand. "And that would require the assistance of a certain _witch_," Klaus smirked. Caroline felt they were all sharing some weird connection and everybody knew what Klaus was referring to except of course her. Oh, well.

"Okay, yeah," Hayley said, "good luck with that. Maybe if you hadn't killed her boyfriend or threatened her friend she would be much amicable to our propositions."

"Oh, let bygones be bygones, love," Klaus smiled in that creepy endearing way of his'.

She got up suddenly. "Well, folks, as nice as this has been, seeing as we're at an impasse, I'm afraid it's time for me to leave. Have a pack to get back to and everything. Do keep me informed, though."

"You're not going anywhere, love," Klaus said sharply as he blocked her way. Hayley frowned.

"I'm afraid that's not your decision to make," Hayley said walking towards the door.

"Elijah, tell the little wolf that if she so much as steps one foot out of the house then I will go and burn down her wolf friends myself," Klaus said menacingly.

Elijah sighed and looked at Hayley in an 'I knew this would happen' manner. Hayley clenched her jaw angrily. "Niklaus, Hayley is free to make her own decisions. You cannot force her into doing your bidding," Elijah said softly but firmly in a 'no-nonsense' way. Hayley looked surprised at Elijah's defense of her and sent him a grateful look. _That's my boyfriend alright!_ She called out inside her head victoriously.

"Well, you heard the man," Hayley said as she moved to leave.

Klaus glowered at Elijah. "I will _not_ be pushed around in my own house! You are staying here and THAT is final!" Klaus screamed. "How dare you try to leave me like a treacherous little –"

"I'm so tired of it being about _you_," Hayley screamed angrily. "It's about _your_ paranoia, your feelings, and your problems. It's never about any of us! _Never_," she shoved him in the chest angrily.

"Why do you think Rebekah even left in the first place!?" Her eyes were shining with righteous indignation. "How _dare_ you try to reduce this _huge step_ in my life to a 'betrayal'!? How dare you try to control me – _again_? We're family, Klaus. We'll always be family. But you have to let me go. This is something that _I _have to do for myself. It's not about you and you have to understand this and get over it. Or I will _never_ speak to you again," Hayley said.

Caroline couldn't understand how Klaus was letting Hayley speak to him this way. She had assumed he would've snapped a good ten minutes ago and pulled Hayley's heart from her chest. What the hell did Hayley mean they were family? Caroline could see the hurt on Klaus's face. He had his jaw clenched tightly and his palms curled into fists.

Klaus didn't stop Hayley as she stormed out of the house. He remained standing in the same place for a long time, as if rooted by all the grief and truth of Hayley's accusations. Caroline stood there awkwardly wondering what to do with herself. Elijah sighed loudly and made his way into the house. When Klaus looked at her, his eyes were burning with hatred, anger and so much pain, Caroline almost took a step back. Caroline had seen him at his most vulnerable and he was very, _very_ angry about that.

Caroline licked her lips nervously wondering what to say. "So...New Orleans, pretty city, good music," she began with a nervous smile but Klaus blurred past her without sparing her another glance. _Oh well,_ Caroline thought tiredly.

A housemaid approached Caroline moments later offering to show her to her rooms.

"Oh, I'm not going to be staying here," she said. "I'll just need to wash up before I leave in a few hours."

* * *

><p>"Okay, come on, you're coming with me. You've had too much to drink to go home alone," Rebekah hailed a cab and eased Elizabeth into the back seat. They had partied hard and Rebekah hadn't taken into consideration that her human friend might not have the best alcohol retention capacity. It was only when her friend was spewing vomit everywhere that Rebekah decided that it was time to chuck her date and take care of her friend.<p>

Rebekah met Martha at home, who, seeing Elizabeth's predicament, tutted and went into the kitchen to get pills for Elizabeth. Apparently, when one cannot stop puking even when one has emptied the contents in their stomach, it means one suffers from alcohol poisoning. In such a case you should take pills which would strengthen your liver. Oh well, thought Rebekah. That would be a tip useful to her never, she mused.

Meanwhile, Brownie kept excitedly running around her in circles, trying to get her attention.

"Not now, you little monster," Rebekah said tenderly as she petted the dog and went to tend to Elizabeth.

Martha and Rebekah helped Elizabeth to change out of her clothes and into Rebekah's spare pyjamas and put her to bed. After Martha left, Rebekah went to check in on Aesa and found her sleeping peacefully. She pressed a kiss against her cheek and went downstairs to lie in the sofa for some time. She wasn't quite sleepy yet. Brownie lay next to her on sofa, snuggling into her possessively as she petted the little pup.

Rebekah put in her old Sim card and switched on her phone. She had to get a new phone number and a new everything once she was on the run. She couldn't chance anyone coming upon her and finding her with Hope. Once in a while, though, Rebekah would put in her old SIM card to make sure she wasn't missing out on any emergencies. Mostly, she just checked it to see if there were messages from Matt. And to her surprise, or not, there were. He'd left so many voicemails.

_1__st__ message_

_Hey, it's been a long time. I was just...missing you. It's not that big of a deal, really. I just, I was just doing something the other day and I was reminded of our time in Spain. You know the amusement park we trashed; I was just thinking about it and laughing ... How are you? I haven't seen or heard from you in quite a while. I hope you're doing okay...um...well, okay then, I guess I should hang up before it gets anymore awkward, and weird, yeah? _

He laughs nervously before hanging up. He had sent it eight months ago. She thought it had been a momentary lapse in judgement on his part. But the voicemails never stopped even though Rebekah never responded. They got more curious by the day and clenched around Rebekah's heart like an iron fist.

4th message

_Bonnie and Damon have died...they've gone to the other side, actually. And mystic falls is spelled to restrict any magical being from entering. Which means no Caroline, no Elena. No Alaric. I'm with Jeremy who is on a downward spiral. It's quite sad and pathetic really. I wonder where you are and what you're doing. I hope you're okay and I hope you're happy._

10th message

_I wonder what you'll think when you do switch on your phone and listen to all these messages._

11th

_Jeremy stepped out for a while – probably to get drunk or something and I got a chance to clean the house. I can't tell you how good it felt to do that. Damn, I felt like Caroline, for god's sake. I guess I finally see what she means when she's talking about the pleasures of cleaning. But she does it when she is stressing out. I had to do it because I felt like I was in a live-in relationship with rodents. –snorts- anyway, I am so tired. I miss Caroline and Elena. I miss Bonnie. I think Jeremy misses her too. I've seen him leaving messages _

The latest one says –

20th

_I found a picture of us in my closet the other day. And I suddenly remembered what I had been trying to remember for a long time. The last time I felt happy and at ease was with you. Strange, right? I mean, you did try to kill Elena and me and I ... I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I don't know what these messages are. You're not even probably listening to them. I just...I don't know. I think I ...Uh, I have to go. Bye._

Rebekah clutched her cell phone tightly, frozen with the realization that perhaps, _perhaps_, Matt was going to say that which her body and soul had ached to hear from another all these years. _Centuries_, she'd waited, _centuries, _just to be _wanted_ and _loved _and here was Matt the Human, Matt the Bus Boy. Matt who always pushed her to be better than she was; Matt who gave her his coat when she didn't feel cold, Matt who held her hand one night she had gotten drunk and cried about her _life_, oh what a life she had mourned that night. He had held her hand and been there for her despite everything she had done to him. He was a _friend_. He was a human. He was beautiful.

A sharp cry from upstairs jolted Rebekah from her thoughts. Aesa was crying and Rebekah blurred upstairs to help her. Brownie appeared no later, wagging his tail excitedly, wondering what was wrong.

"Shh, my love, I'm here now," Rebekah cooed to little Aesa, her tiny fingers closing around her hair, "what is it, my darling?"

"Oh, you've pooped your nappy, have you?" Rebekah snickered as she pressed her nose against Aesa's cheek. "I'll take care of you, my sweet darling," she murmured as she went to fetch a diaper.

As Rebekah started to change Aesa out of her diaper, the baby looked at her and grinned a silly goofy grin. Rebekah laughed. "You've got that despicable grin your father has," Rebekah tutted as she kissed Aesa's fingers.

"Ma-ma," the baby mumbled, against Rebekah's shoulder as Rebekah fastened the diaper around her belly. Rebekah pulled away from Aesa abruptly to look at her. "What?"

"Mama," Aesa said again, clearly and loudly this time. Rebekah couldn't help but crumple to the floor with Aesa in her arms. Brownie barked, startled at seeing his mistress cry.

Rebekah had never wanted Aesa to call her mom or any other variation of it because she knew she wouldn't be able to take it when it would be time to part. She knew Aesa was nearing the age where babies started mumbling words...but she didn't know what to teach her. Every baby's first words were supposed to be special and those words usually included Mama or Papa.

But Aesa's Mama and Papa were not with her at the moment and it was too heartbreaking for Rebekah to make Aesa call her Mama. It wasn't fair. _Hayley_ was Aesa's mother. Rebekah was just a stand in. She didn't deserve this baby's love or recognition of her as her mother. _Mama_ was too scary for Rebekah. Mama meant ownership and Rebekah was so scared. Rebekah wasn't her mama and she was dreading the day Hope realized she wasn't. She was mother to Aesa, not Hope.

It seemed like that's Martha had taught Aesa to call her Mama. What with all those times when Martha pointed to Rebekah and said 'Mama' a bazillion times, what did Rebekah expect but this?

"Is everything okay? I heard Aesa cry, and the dog _barking_" Elizabeth said standing at the door. She was greeted by a flustered crying Rebekah who sat on the floor with Aesa in her arms. "Hey, what happened?" Elizabeth asked concerned as she took the puppy in her arms, wondering if Rebekah had always had a puppy – she didn't seem much of a puppy person, and knelt next to Rebekah.

"Sh-she called me Mama," Rebekah said looking up at Elizabeth with tears on her face.

"She – she – she," Rebekah couldn't stop crying. "I – I was changing her diaper and she – she," Rebekah pressed the back of her palm to her mouth to stop her tears.

"Mama," Aesa mumbled again, tugging at Rebekah's hair.

"Oh, honey," Elizabeth said softly as she brushed Rebekah's hair gently. "Wait, let me get my phone," she said as she put the pup on the floor and rushed out.

But despite all her anxieties, having Aesa call her mother was so redeeming. Despite everything, _every_ pain she'd ever been put through, to have someone look at her with so much innocence and love, Rebekah knew she had never known love or joy like this. She had been so – so, _so_ convinced that she would never ever be loved, but here was this baby, with so much love for her to call her mother. She was the mother to her little baby. Rebekah clutched at Aesa and cried while Elizabeth took a video of the whole scene giggling through tears and Brownie barked the whole time excitedly.

"Aesa, call Rebekah Mama again," Elizabeth prompted and Aesa looked at the woman strangely before saying the word Mama over and over again.

Fifteen minutes later Aesa started yawning aggressively and Rebekah decided it was time for bed for everyone. Today had been a long day. But it had also been one of her best. Elizabeth, her human friend, surprisingly pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so happy for you, Beks," she said grinning. Rebekah was shocked at the sincerity of her words. She couldn't remember the last time someone apart from Elijah had said to her that they were happy for her. _Matt_, a voice reminded her.

"I'm sorry, is it okay if I call you Beks?" She asked hesitantly. Perhaps, she had read Rebekah's silence wrongly. Rebekah smirked.

"Of course, you can, Lizzie," she said, "Now, off to bed."

"Yes, Mom," Elizabeth gave a mock salute to Rebekah as she headed to the guest room.

Rebekah retired to her own room.

Brownie tried to get into her room but she remained firm, "_No,_" she said, "go downstairs and sleep in your bed. Be a good boy, now. No sulking would do you no good," she said as she waited for Brownie to heed to her orders. The dog whined but made its way downstairs. Rebekah smiled, feeling extremely pleased to herself.

She lay on her bed feeling content and safe and so, so, _happy._ She listened to Matt's last message again and imagined speaking to him. But this time she was talking instead of him.

"Well, tell me about your day," he'd ask. She imagined him to be leaning against the armrest of his couch, with his eyes closed.

"Well, I've got a puppy," she imagined telling him. "I've got a daughter...Aesa. I have a family here...and friends. Well, one. I go out clubbing with the girls – well, actually, there's just one girl, Elizabeth. But we're...pals. We're really good friends. Tonight Aesa said her first words...she looked at me, and there was this goofy silly smile on her face and she pointed at me and she said, _Mama_."

Rebekah would sigh, "I never imagined teaching her that...I was so hesitant to teach her any words. A person's first words should be magical...and I had no magic to offer her. I couldn't teach her any words because motherhood and fatherhood had been robbed from her and I couldn't imagine robbing Hayley's right to being called Mama. But when Aesa said it...It felt like home. It felt like _family._ I have never before felt like I have belonged than I did tonight in that moment."

There were times when Rebekah listened to his messages and her heart would almost give in. This deep startling ache to be loved in the way she had always wanted to would clutch her heart and paralyzed her being. The thought that she could never have what she wanted would always plague her mind. But tonight was different. Tonight Rebekah realized she had everything she had ever wanted.

She had a family, the love of her life, _friends,_a _puppy, _for God's sake! She also had her own picket fence house. She had always imagined a boy coming and saving her from her misery, of redeeming her but here she was – redeeming herself, making a life for herself and her – her _daughter_. She had been her own hero without even realizing it.

And as much as she wanted to share her with Matt she knew it wasn't worth it.

She had learnt of requited unconditional love and of friendship tonight and she knew there was more to learn. There was always more to learn. And Rebekah couldn't wait to begin to learn and experience everything the world had to offer along with Aesa.

* * *

><p><strong>AN- tell me what you thought, lovelies! How did you like the Mabekah angle? I adore Mabekah, personally. Also, tell me what you thought of Hayley's sass? And the whole interaction between Hayley and Klaus! Omg, tell me also what you thought about Aesa calling Rebekah mum. She's such a precious kid.**

**P.S. – I do not follow TO or TVD anymore. I feel like I might have a brain aneurysm so for with regards to health and intellectual concerns I have officially given up on the shows. I heard Liz Forbes died. It broke my heart. I hope they include a part where Klaus sends his condolences or something. Do tell me if something exciting has happened on either of the shows.**

**P.P.S – Expect updates every month. These chapters are sucking the life out of me and I have so much to do! **


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